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

• 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
• ISSN: 0037-7791; 1533-8533
• DOI: 10.1093/socpro/spx020

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.