1. A network approach to studying effects of ethnic background on friendship and social groups Janna Fortuin Department of Education and Child Studies Leiden University, the Netherlands Aleš Žiberna Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ljubljana, Slovenia University of Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences

2. Outline Theory Theory Research question Research question Data and sample Data and sample Analysis Analysis Results so far Results so far Conclusion Conclusion discussion discussion

3. Social relations Social relations: difference between friendship and social interaction within the classroom Social relations: difference between friendship and social interaction within the classroom Friendship research: focus on individuals Friendship research: focus on individuals similarity-attraction hypothesis similarity-attraction hypothesis Does this apply to both friendship and interaction networks? Does this apply to both friendship and interaction networks?

4. Social network analysis Focus on dyads, within context of network Focus on dyads, within context of network Study both structural and actor-effects Study both structural and actor-effects Friendship: directed networks Friendship: directed networks Social interaction: undirected networks Social interaction: undirected networks Social relations from an educational practical application: integration Social relations from an educational practical application: integration

5. Research question “To which degree are the friendship and interaction networks explained by objective and subjective ethnicity” “To which degree are the friendship and interaction networks explained by objective and subjective ethnicity” Controlling for structural effects, sociometric status, religion and activity involvement Controlling for structural effects, sociometric status, religion and activity involvement

6. Sample 296 pupils in 14 sixth-grade classrooms, drawn from 14 multicultural elementary schools 296 pupils in 14 sixth-grade classrooms, drawn from 14 multicultural elementary schools Mean age= 11.4 (s.d. 0.63) Mean age= 11.4 (s.d. 0.63) Class size 15-30 pupils Class size 15-30 pupils

7. Questionnaire Friendship measure: “name your three best friends” Friendship measure: “name your three best friends” Social interaction measure: “who hangs out with whom”-> transformed using NETWORKS 4.0 into one social composite map with an undirected network Social interaction measure: “who hangs out with whom”-> transformed using NETWORKS 4.0 into one social composite map with an undirected network Subjective ethnicity: “I am a…” Subjective ethnicity: “I am a…” Objective ethnicity: country of birth of parents Objective ethnicity: country of birth of parents

8. Network examples green – boystriangles – subjective ethnicity is only Dutch red – girlscircles – subjective ethnicity is not only Dutch

9. Preliminary data-analysis Selection of 6 schools Selection of 6 schools Method: ERGM using SIENA Method: ERGM using SIENA –Missings were deleted –Some convergence problems

10. ERGM analysis Dependent variable: social interaction or friendship network Dependent variable: social interaction or friendship network Candidates for explanatory variables: Candidates for explanatory variables: –network variables (reciprocity, transitivity, degree distribution) –objective and subjective ethnicity –controlling variables (gender, age, participation in activities, religion and social status)

11. Models with Social Interaction Networks

12. Models with Friendship Networks

13. Results summarized No consistent pattern No consistent pattern Social interaction networks: Social interaction networks: –in half of the schools, ethnicity plays a role –some activity involvement effects –one effect of being Muslim

14. Results continued Friendship Networks: Friendship Networks: –ethnicity plays a role in 3 out of 5 schools –some activity involvement effects –Also some effects of having a popular or rejected sociometric status

15. Conclusions Ethnicity plays a role in some classes, but it is not clear why this happens or doesn’t happen Ethnicity plays a role in some classes, but it is not clear why this happens or doesn’t happen A lot of variability in the type of ethnicity effect A lot of variability in the type of ethnicity effect Control variables are important in some classes, their inclusion sometimes diminishes the effect of ethnicity Control variables are important in some classes, their inclusion sometimes diminishes the effect of ethnicity Social interaction networks and friendship networks seem quite alike Social interaction networks and friendship networks seem quite alike

16. Further analysis All 14 schools, perhaps with deletion of schools with many missings All 14 schools, perhaps with deletion of schools with many missings Multilevel analysis of results to detect any consistent pattern (obtaining convergence for the same model in all schools can be problematic) Multilevel analysis of results to detect any consistent pattern (obtaining convergence for the same model in all schools can be problematic) All schools (with not too many missings) as one network All schools (with not too many missings) as one network Explanation for presence or absence of ethnicity effect: multicultural make-up of the class? Other class-level constructs? Teacher effects? Explanation for presence or absence of ethnicity effect: multicultural make-up of the class? Other class-level constructs? Teacher effects?

17. Discussion Please give us your feedback, to improve the next analysis and the paper! Please give us your feedback, to improve the next analysis and the paper!