Homophily and long-run integration in social networks

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bramoulle, Yann; Currarini, Sergio; Jackson, Matthew O.; Pin, Paolo; Rogers, Brian W.
• 署名单位: Stanford University; Laval University; Aix-Marseille Universite; Universita Ca Foscari Venezia; University of Bristol; The Santa Fe Institute; University of Siena; Northwestern University; Northwestern University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC THEORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-0531
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2012.05.007
• 发表日期: 2012
• 页码: 1754-1786
• 关键词: Network formation; social networks; Homophily; integration; Degree distribution; citations

摘要

We model network formation when heterogeneous nodes enter sequentially and form connections through both random meetings and network-based search, but with type-dependent biases. We show that there is long-run integration, whereby the composition of types in sufficiently old nodes' neighborhoods approaches the global type-distribution, provided that the network-based search is unbiased. However, younger nodes' connections still reflect the biased meetings process. We derive the type-based degree distributions and group-level homophily patterns when there are two types and location-based biases. Finally, we illustrate aspects of the model with an empirical application to data on citations in physics journals. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.