On the Effect of Triadic Closure on Network Segregation

TL;DR

This paper explores how triadic closure can counteract social segregation caused by homophily, showing through models and real-world data that fostering triadic closure can promote network integration and reduce inequalities.

Contribution

It challenges the belief that triadic closure and homophily always reinforce segregation, demonstrating that triadic closure can actually promote desegregation in social networks.

Findings

Triadic closure can reduce network segregation in theoretical models.

Empirical analysis confirms triadic closure's desegregating effect in real-world networks.

Simple interventions leveraging triadic closure can mitigate social segregation.

Abstract

The tendency for individuals to form social ties with others who are similar to themselves, known as homophily, is one of the most robust sociological principles. Since this phenomenon can lead to patterns of interactions that segregate people along different demographic dimensions, it can also lead to inequalities in access to information, resources, and opportunities. As we consider potential interventions that might alleviate the effects of segregation, we face the challenge that homophily constitutes a pervasive and organic force that is difficult to push back against. Designing effective interventions can therefore benefit from identifying counterbalancing social processes that might be harnessed to work in opposition to segregation. In this work, we show that triadic closure -- another common phenomenon that posits that individuals with a mutual connection are more likely to be connected to one another -- can be one such process. In doing so, we challenge a long-held belief that triadic closure and homophily work in tandem. By analyzing several fundamental network models using popular integration measures, we demonstrate the desegregating potential of triadic closure. We further empirically investigate this effect on real-world dynamic networks, surfacing observations that mirror our theoretical findings. We leverage these insights to discuss simple interventions that can help reduce segregation in settings that exhibit an interplay between triadic closure and homophily. We conclude with a discussion on qualitative implications for the design of interventions in settings where individuals arrive in an online fashion, and the designer can influence the initial set of connections.