The One Friend Rule

Race and Social Capital in an Interracial Network

Bibliographic Data

ID2245185
AuthorsChristopher W Munn (The Ohio State University, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume65
Issue4
Pages473-490
Publication date2018-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Problems (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0037-7791 • E-ISSN: 1533-8533
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/socpro/spx020
OpenAlexW2694838558
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited56

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.

Capital (architecture) · Context (archaeology) · Diversity (politics) · Geography · Population · Race (biology) · Social capital · Social mobility · Social science · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Theme (computing) · Value (mathematics) · White (mutation) · Demography · Gender Studies · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social Capital and Networks · Social Psychology

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