Talking Politics

Viac o knihe

Over five decades of research has shown that social networks significantly influence our political behavior. Engaging in political conversations within these networks fosters connections that enhance the likelihood of political activity. However, most studies focus on individuals rather than the effects of networks. Additionally, existing research predominantly centers on White Americans. Given that neighborhood, cultural, friend, and family networks often segregate along ethnic and racial lines, the authors argue that political networks likely do the same. This work utilizes quantitative and qualitative analyses of 4,000 individuals from White American, African American, Latino, and Asian American backgrounds to investigate inter and intra-ethnoracial differences in social network composition, size, partisanship, policy attitudes, and homophily in political and civic engagement. The book makes three significant contributions: it offers a detailed comparative analysis of political networks across and within ethnoracial groups, demonstrates how historical differences in partisanship, policy attitudes, and engagement manifest in social networks, and reveals the impact of these networks on individuals' political and civic involvement.