How networks shape diversity for better or worse

TL;DR

This paper investigates how social network structures influence socio-diversity, revealing that inequalities hinder diversity while close-knit communities and dense ties promote it, with implications for fostering societal innovation.

Contribution

It introduces models and analyses showing how specific network characteristics affect socio-diversity, offering insights for designing social networks to enhance diversity.

Findings

Inequalities in connection distribution hinder socio-diversity.

Close-knit communities and dense ties promote socio-diversity.

Long-range connections tend to reduce local diversity.

Abstract

Socio-diversity, the variety of human opinions, ideas, behaviors and styles, has profound implications for social systems. While it fuels innovation, productivity, and collective intelligence, it can also complicate communication and erode trust. So what mechanisms can influence it? This paper studies how fundamental characteristics of social networks can support or hinder socio-diversity. It employs models of cultural evolution, mathematical analysis, and numerical simulations. We find that pronounced inequalities in the distribution of connections obstruct socio-diversity. In contrast, the prevalence of close-knit communities, a scarcity of long-range connections, and a significant tie density tend to promote it. These results open new perspectives for understanding how to change social networks to sustain more socio-diversity and, thereby, societal innovation, collective intelligence, and productivity.