Social Networks and Inequality: Where Do We Go from Here?

Abstract

Research finds that social networking is often based on homophily principles (McPherson, Smith-Lovin, & Cook, 2001) and old boys’ club memberships (Schmuck, 1986), thus leading to unequal treatment and extraction of benefits across different individuals. Recently, questions - such as 1) who has higher likelihood to create effective social network ties and 2) who capitalizes on social network ties more efficiently - have begun to permeate scholarly interest. However, little is known about the motivations driving individuals to utilize their social networking for professional advancement, the extant barriers allowing some people to utilize their networks more efficiently than others, and the potential consequences of such utilization for inequality. In this symposium, we explore the intersection of social networks and inequality by investigating how disadvantaged individuals (by gender or SES) create and utilize their social network ties. Further, we explore core motivations (loyalty) and barriers (gender stereotypes) that intervene with individuals’ likelihood to create and utilize their social network ties, by looking at the utilization of social networks and the imminent consequences from such utilization. In four presentations, we tackle questions that will contribute to a greater understanding of how precisely social networks and inequality interplay with one another. Gender and Networking: Building and Benefiting from High-Status Ties in the Workplace Presenter: Meredith Lauren Woehler; Vanderbilt U. The Role of Family Structure and Gender in the Formation of Network Ties Presenter: Francesca Nannetti; ESSEC Business School Presenter: Jill Perry-Smith; Emory U. Gender-Stereotyping of Brokerage Behaviors & Brokerage Returns Presenter: Raina A. Brands; London Business School Aren’t You Loyal? How Ethics and Obligation Determine Loyalty-Driven Nepotistic Behavior Presenter: Teodora Tomova; NYU Stern Presenter: John Angus Hildreth; Cornell SC Johnson College of Business