Citation
Shiao, Jiannbin L. (2014). Beyond propinquity: Do interracial friendships facilitate interracial intimacy?.
2014 Add Health Users Conference. Bethesda, MD.
Abstract
Researchers regard interracial intimacy as a mechanism for integration because of the assumption that the partners come from distinct social worlds, e.g. racially homogeneous friendship networks. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), I investigate the relationship between interracial intimacy and interracial friendship, specifically the question of how young adults' chances of having an interracial romantic relationship depend on the racial composition of their friends during adolescence and their exposure to interracial relationships among these friends. I hypothesize that: (1) Young adults' odds of having interracial relationships are higher if they had any interracial friends in adolescence. (2) Young adults' odds of having interracial relationships are higher if their friends in adolescence had any interracial relationships. Estimating multilevel logistic models with random intercepts for each school, I find that interracial friendship remains a significant influence on the likelihood of interracial intimacy, even after controlling for selection bias, group size, social distance, and personal characteristics. Moreover, interracial friendship influences interracial intimacy both independently and interactively with opportunities for casual contact. In brief, interracial contact is not only a "random walk" it also creates a “third space” of social relations that are distinct from racially homogeneous social worlds.
URL
https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/docs/events/20140613_Add_Health_Users_Conference_Abstracts.pdfReference Type
Conference proceeding
Book Title
2014 Add Health Users Conference
Author(s)
Shiao, Jiannbin L.
Year Published
2014
City of Publication
Bethesda, MD
Reference ID
6264
