Beyond Homophily: The Boundary-Specific Effects of Interracial Contact

Abstract

Decades of research have confirmed and delimited the effects of interracial contact on racial attitudes. A shortcoming of this literature is its framing of interracial contact as a counterweight to homophily. Accordingly, researchers often measure interracial contact at the same-race/different-race boundary, such as in friendships and dating relationships. Rather than asking whether any interracial friendship leads to any interracial dating, I ask how much crossing a specific boundary actually leads to crossing other boundaries. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), I investigate the consequences of early interracial friendship for later interracial dating across six racial boundaries. The results show that interracial contact with a specific group increases the likelihood of interracial contact primarily with that same group and rarely with other groups. I conclude with implications for future research as well as social policy that relies on interracial contact.