Personal network integration: Transitivity and homophily in strong-tie relations

Abstract

This article combines studies of transitivity and homophily in an empirical analysis of personal network integration. Using a national sample of individual's personal networks, the paper reveals that transitivity explains a majority of cases of network integration with two important caveats: (1) recent work on networks and social structure points to important structural constraints on personal networks that shape their formation, and (2) homophily (e.g. sex or race) and choice homophily (e.g. religion) improve the likelihood of integration in personal networks. The results indicate that the second finding interacts with relationship length and the availability of focal points to organize individual contact. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.