Heterophily
Encyclopedia
Heterophily, or love of the different, is the tendency of individuals to collect in diverse groups; it is the opposite of homophily
. This phenomenon is notable in successful organizations, where the resulting diversity of ideas is thought to promote an innovative environment. Recently it has become an area of social network analysis.
Most of the early work in heterophily was done in the 1960s by Everett Rogers
in his book Diffusion Of Innovations
. Rogers showed that heterophilious networks were better able to spread innovations. Later, scholars such as Paul Burton have drawn connections between modern Social Network Analysis as practiced by Mark Granovetter
in his theory of weak ties and the work of Georg Simmel
. Burton found that Simmel's notion of "the stranger" is equivalent to Granovetter's weak tie in that both can bridge homophilious networks, turning them into one larger heterophilious network.
Homophily
Homophily is the tendency of individuals to associate and bond with similar others. The presence of homophily has been discovered in a vast array of network studies. Within their extensive review paper, sociologists McPherson, Smith-Lovin and Cook cite over one hundred studies that have observed...
. This phenomenon is notable in successful organizations, where the resulting diversity of ideas is thought to promote an innovative environment. Recently it has become an area of social network analysis.
Most of the early work in heterophily was done in the 1960s by Everett Rogers
Everett Rogers
Everett M. Rogers was a communication scholar, sociologist, writer, and teacher. He is best known for originating the diffusion of innovations theory and for introducing the term early adopter....
in his book Diffusion Of Innovations
Diffusion of innovations
Diffusion of Innovations is a theory that seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread through cultures. Everett Rogers, a professor of rural sociology, popularized the theory in his 1962 book Diffusion of Innovations...
. Rogers showed that heterophilious networks were better able to spread innovations. Later, scholars such as Paul Burton have drawn connections between modern Social Network Analysis as practiced by Mark Granovetter
Mark Granovetter
Professor Mark Granovetter is an American sociologist at Stanford University who has created theories in modern sociology since the 1970s. He is best known for his work in social network theory and in economic sociology, particularly his theory on the spread of information in social networks known...
in his theory of weak ties and the work of Georg Simmel
Georg Simmel
Georg Simmel was a major German sociologist, philosopher, and critic.Simmel was one of the first generation of German sociologists: his neo-Kantian approach laid the foundations for sociological antipositivism, asking 'What is society?' in a direct allusion to Kant's question 'What is nature?',...
. Burton found that Simmel's notion of "the stranger" is equivalent to Granovetter's weak tie in that both can bridge homophilious networks, turning them into one larger heterophilious network.
See also
- HomophilyHomophilyHomophily is the tendency of individuals to associate and bond with similar others. The presence of homophily has been discovered in a vast array of network studies. Within their extensive review paper, sociologists McPherson, Smith-Lovin and Cook cite over one hundred studies that have observed...
- ExogamyExogamyExogamy is a social arrangement where marriage is allowed only outside of a social group. The social groups define the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. In social studies, exogamy is viewed as a combination of two related aspects:...
- Diffusion of innovations – Heterophily and communication channels
Additional reading
- Complex adaptive systems and the diffusion of innovation by Everett M. Rogers, Una E. Medina, Mario A. Rivera and Cody J. Wiley
- Dimensions of social networks as predictors of employee performance by Paul Burton