The One Friend Rule: Race and Social Capital in an Interracial Network

Scholars have argued convincingly that race influences an individual’s ability to access and mobilize social capital. Since social capital is embedded in social relationships and not individuals, understanding the context of relationships is imperative for understanding how race may create barriers...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social problems (Berkeley, Calif.) Calif.), 2018-11, Vol.65 (4), p.473-490
Main Author: Munn, Christopher W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access
Activities of daily living
Constraints
Equality
Friendship
Intellectuals
Mobilization
Multiculturalism & pluralism
Race
Racial identity
Racial inequality
Social capital
Social networks
Social relations
Social support
White people
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Summary:Scholars have argued convincingly that race influences an individual’s ability to access and mobilize social capital. Since social capital is embedded in social relationships and not individuals, understanding the context of relationships is imperative for understanding how race may create barriers to socioeconomic equality. Using data from in-depth interviews with members of an intentionally interracial organization in a large Midwestern city, I investigate the influence of race on social capital. One major theme emerged: highly involved white members described their close friends of color in utilitarian terms and not integrated into daily activities outside of the interracial organization. This theme, named the “one friend rule,” is a micro-level mechanism where whites mobilize a “close” interracial tie to project a generalized value for diversity while simultaneously limiting access to personal resources. I conclude that the one friend rule is a major barrier to social capital mobilization for people of color involved in a racially diverse organization.
ISSN:0037-7791
1533-8533
DOI:10.1093/socpro/spx020