Humans have a need to belong. And in their pursuit of social connection, they gravitate toward people who are similar to them. This well-known principle, called “homophily,” guides many relationships including friendship and marriage.
How does the allure of similarity square with societies becoming more diverse? If people gravitate towards others with the same age, educational background, and ethnicity as themselves, societies will be organized, and perhaps divided, according to these characteristics.
In the distant past, homophily offered humans lots of advantages. When birds of a feather (or humans) flock together, they are safer from predators. Homophily may also have pushed humans to live in groups and then create societies. Although these tendencies could have served an important purpose in the past, they might be incompatible with a more diverse, globalized world where people from different backgrounds coexist in the same space more than ever.
To understand the implications of homophily—the preference for connecting with similar people—we surveyed 24,726 adults in the UK living in 10,000 English neighborhoods. We carefully identified the composition of people’s friendships according to age, ethnicity, income, and education. Ultimately, we were interested in how these factors are related to people’s sense of well-being.
The Sweet Spot of Diversity
We found that people tended to be happier when their friends were more similar to themselves. And this is understandable. Because having similar friends helps people meet their social needs, it makes sense that homophily would make them happier.
However, an interesting twist emerged in the data. At a certain point, too much similarity became detrimental. People who had most of their friends from the same ethnicity, age, income, or educational background had lower well-being. To maximize well-being, it was optimal for about 50% of a person’s friends to be similar to them and about 50% dissimilar. Thus, people benefit from having both similar and dissimilar friends in an ideal balance.
How Friendship Diversity Affects Well-Being
But why does it matter if a person’s friends are a mix of people like them and unlike them? We found that the key factor was “social cohesion.” Social cohesion is the sense of belonging and connectedness within one’s community. People are happier when they are in more cohesive social networks. And critically, people tend to feel the most connected when they achieve a balance between similar and dissimilar friends. This benefit to cohesion explains why people were happiest in more diverse social networks.
The opposite also holds true. Imagine living someplace where all groups are extremely divided, with people grouped according to characteristics such as ethnicity, age, and education, with no mixing. It is difficult to feel connected with the surrounding social environment, and this could have negative consequences for well-being.
So, What Does This Mean?
Our findings have important implications for building happier and more inclusive communities. While it is natural to gravitate towards people who are similar to you, it is equally important to embrace diversity and engage with people from different backgrounds. This is not just about race or ethnicity. We found that having friends of different ages, educational and income backgrounds was beneficial.
Promoting inclusive social networks and spaces can reduce social divisions and foster resilience and adaptability in an ever-changing world. Embracing diversity not only benefits well-being but also contributes to the overall happiness and cohesion of communities.
By actively seeking connections with people who are different from you, you can challenge your assumptions and foster a greater sense of belonging.
For Further Reading
Ramos, M. R., Li, D., Bennett, M. R., Mogra, U., Massey, D. S., & Hewstone, M. (2024). Variety is the spice of life: Diverse social networks are associated with social cohesion and well-being. Psychological Science,35(6), 665-680. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976241243370
Ramos, M. R., Bennett, M. R., Massey, D. S., & Hewstone, M. (2019). Humans adapt to social diversity over time. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116, 12244-12249. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1818884116
Miguel Ramos is an associate professor working at University of Birmingham, U.K. His research investigates the impact of the social environment on people’s well-being and health, especially those who face disadvantages in our societies. This includes studying the effects of harmful aspects such as prejudice and discrimination, as well as beneficial ones such as the social ties and identities individuals develop when in contact.
Matt Bennett is a Professor of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham, U.K. His work focuses on intersectional inequalities in the areas of social care, social diversity and intergroup relations, and prosocial behavior. His expertise is in linking and analyzing large-scale surveys and administrative datasets using advanced statistical methods to answer applied policy and practice questions.
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