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The Structure of Friendship: How Network Density Influences Identity Verification

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Identities in Action

Part of the book series: Frontiers in Sociology and Social Research ((FSSR,volume 6))

Abstract

Identity theory predicts that negative outcomes associated with identity verification are moderated by how salient and prominent the identity is. However, evidence shows mixed support for this effect. Here, I suggest that proximate social structure may influence identity verification because (1) it provides information about the immediate social context in which verification occurs, and (2) it provides information about relationship-based resources, such as social support, to which individuals have access to offset the negative effects of non-verification. Drawing from social network analysis to measure proximate social structure, I focus on the moderating effect of network density, or the proportion of one’s social contacts that are connected to one other, in the verification process of the friend identity. I hypothesize that a dense friendship network buffers the negative emotions associated identity non-verification. Results from a sample of 277 individuals who participated in an egocentric network survey support the expectations. This advances identity theory by revealing how the structure of one’s social network matters for identity verification. It also bridges identity theory and social network analysis by showing the utility of network-level concepts in conceptualizing and measuring social structure.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Network size tends to be negatively associated with density (Carter & Feld, 2004), and density tends to be associated with close emotional bonds among network members (Friedkin, 2004; Green et al., 2001). The lack of associations seen here, however, may be explained by the boundary specification of the friendship network. The name interpreter specifically asked individuals to identify their close friends as opposed to friends in general, which would have led participants to also identify acquaintances with which they are less close. Thus, it is likely that the nature of the friend networks assessed here obscure these general effects, perhaps allowing the association of density with other network aspects of friendship, such as length of friendship and frequency of contact, to be more pronounced.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Kelly L. Markowski

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  1. Kelly L. Markowski
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Correspondence to Kelly L. Markowski .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA

    Philip S. Brenner

  2. Department of Sociology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA

    Jan E. Stets

  3. Department of Sociology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

    Richard T. Serpe

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Markowski, K.L. (2021). The Structure of Friendship: How Network Density Influences Identity Verification. In: Brenner, P.S., Stets, J.E., Serpe, R.T. (eds) Identities in Action. Frontiers in Sociology and Social Research, vol 6. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76966-6_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76966-6_13

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