Relationships in your Network

Are all of my relationships defined by statements such as homophilous relations or a connection with propinquity. No, but these two words are discussed in depth in “Introduction to Social Network Theory” by Charles Kadushin.

When I transferred to American University from New York City last Fall I remember the first conversation starter amongst other students was always "Where are you from?" And with some reflection, it doesn't take long for me to realize that I have a pre-disposition to believe that I get along better with people from New York City, or that have shared a significant mutual experience, such as attending a New England Boarding School with me. In my personal experience, almost all of my relationships however are through the propinquity property. Whether it is because I feel people from New York all share a certain quality, or just because I like being surrounded by people from New York, all of my friends are from New York City. Strangely, I spent all my middle school/high school years at boarding school in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Montana. Additionally, at these schools, most of my friends are in not way homophilous connections.

Think about your network of friends, and see if your relationships are more homophilous or follow the propinquity property.