Global Diversity and Local Consensus in Status Beliefs: The Role of Network Clustering and Resistance to Belief Change

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Abstract

Formal models of status construction theory suggest that beliefs about the relative social worth and competence of members of different social groups can emerge from face-to-face interactions in task-focused groups and eventually become consensual in large populations. We propose two extensions of earlier models. First, we incorporate the microlevel behavioral assumption of status construction theory that people can become resistant to belief change when a belief appears consensual in their local social environment. Second, we integrate the insight that the macro-level social structure of face-to-face interactions in large populations often is a clustered network structure. Computational experiments identify an outcome that was not anticipated by earlier formalizations. The combination of network clustering at the macrolevel and resistance to belief change at the microlevel can constrain the diffusion of status beliefs and generate regional variation in status beliefs. Further experiments identify conditions under which this outcome obtains.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)611-640
Number of pages30
JournalSociological Science
Volume4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 6-Nov-2017

Keywords

  • MODEL
  • WORLD
  • CROSS-CULTURAL TEST
  • SOCIAL NETWORKS
  • SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION
  • NOMINAL CHARACTERISTICS
  • STEREOTYPE THREAT
  • JOB SEARCH
  • GENDER
  • PERFORMANCE

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