social isolation in america

Brayden

As mentioned in an earlier post, my buddy from grad school Matt Brashears has an article appearing in the latest issue of the American Sociological Review (coauthored with Miller McPherson and Lynn Smith-Lovin), “Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades.” The article details changes in individuals’ discussion networks from 1985 to 2004. Here’s the abstract:

Have the core discussion networks of Americans changed in the past two decades? In 1985, the General Social Survey (GSS) collected the first nationally representative data on the confidants with whom Americans discuss important matters. In the 2004 GSS the authors replicated those questions to assess social change in core network structures.Discussion networks are smaller in 2004 than in 1985. The number of people saying there is no one with whom they discuss important matters nearly tripled. The mean network size decreases by about a third (one confidant), from 2.94 in 1985 to 2.08 in 2004. The modal respondent now reports having no confidant; the modal respondent in 1985 had three confidants. Both kin and non-kin confidants were lost in the past two decades, but the greater decrease of non-kin ties leads to more confidant networks centered on spouses and parents, with fewer contacts through voluntary associations andneighborhoods. Most people have densely interconnected confidants similar to them. Some changes reflect the changing demographics of the U.S. population. Educational heterogeneity of social ties has decreased, racial heterogeneity has increased. The data may overestimate the number of social isolates, but these shrinking networks reflect an important social change in America.

That is one of the most depressing abstracts I’ve ever read. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy about Americans doesn’t it?

This article is an important contribution to our understanding of inter-personal networks and should grab lots of attention. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this article cited in a few popular press outlets. It’s already been picked up by the local news (“Is Friendship Dying Off Across America?”). Get ready for the speaker circuit, Matt, and congratulations on a fine publication!

UPDATE: NPR talked with Lynn about the study. You can find the interview here. She discusses some of the more subtle findings in the study (such as regional differences) and gives some additional commentary.