Birds of a feather flock together. In network terms this means that we gravitate towards people similar to ourselves and is known as the principle of similarity. There is an extensive body of research documenting our strong tendencies to form and maintain relationships with people like ourselves. The strongest and most consistent effects have been found for demographic attributes. The graphs below report the proportion of contacts in YOUR NETWORK (p. 4) that are the same as you in terms of education, gender, language, and ethnicity.
For 'Your Contacts' and 'All Respondents', we display the average scores.
Benefits
Similarity in networks is beneficial because it is the basis of attachment, liking, and support. Similarity also eases communication, can engender trust, and provides us with opportunities to pursue our interests.
Tradeoffs
Similarity in networks can also create some drawbacks. Networks organized by similarity can create and reinforce boundaries, leading to enclaves and ghettos that are not well-integrated with the broader community. Excessive levels of similarity can also limit our exposure to different perspectives, experiences, and understandings.