Multiple types of friends and life stage differences in friendship

Abstract

Much research on the life-course measures friend ties using a single aspect of relationships. This measurement has enabled the delineation of friendship networks and the application of rigorous network analysis tools, but at the expense of neglecting the multidimensionality of friendships. As an alternative, this study suggests identifying and differentiating multiple types of friends based on friendships’ multifaceted nature. Analysis using the University of California, Berkeley, Social Networks Survey demonstrates that both young (20–30-year-old) and older (50–70-year-old) people have four distinct types of friends. The conventional “close and supportive friends” or “new friends” only account for half the friendship types. In addition, younger people, particularly married and low-income ones, have friends with whom they do not actively interact, despite the intimacy, proximity, and long tenure of the relationships. Among older people, many friends are not emotionally close despite knowing each other for a long time and living nearby. This type of friendship constitutes a higher proportion in sparse networks and the networks of married, retired, low-income, and non-white older adults. The age group differences in friend types and their distribution are discussed, focusing on different social foci for friend activities between young and older adults.