Primary Submission Category: Race/Ethnicity
Crossing Lines with Unbalanced Ties: Power Asymmetry in Friendship and Racial Minority Adolescents’ Mental Health
Authors: Fei Xie,
Presenting Author: Fei Xie*
The impact of social relationships and networks on health is a double-edged sword, yet research has focused primarily on their beneficial aspects while overlooking potential negative effects (Song et al., 2021; Umberson & Karas Montez, 2010). Friends provide social support, knowledge, and a sense of belonging, positively affecting well-being (Greco et al., 2015; Ueno, 2005). However, low-power positions in friendships may negatively impact mental health (Dickerson, 2008; Marmot, 2005). Individuals with lower social power may experience higher stress, less autonomy, and greater threat from social evaluation. Schacter et al. (2023) found that individuals perceiving friends as dominant report lower self-esteem and more depression and anxiety.
Drawing on Status Characteristics Theory (Berger et al., 1977), race can shape power in social interactions. Racial minority adolescents, already disadvantaged in social contexts, may be more affected by power asymmetry, threatening their sense of autonomy and self-control. While interracial friendships can theoretically bridge power differences, higher-status friends may not share resources equally, and such friendships often serve symbolic purposes rather than providing mobilizable social capital (Putnam, 2001; Jackman & Crane, 1986). Research also suggests interracial friendships may have lower intimacy, fewer shared activities, and reduced reciprocity compared to same-race friendships (Kao et al., 2019; Tropp & Prenovost, 2008).
This study examines three questions: (1) whether power asymmetry in friendship networks influences adolescent mental health; (2) if racial minority adolescents are more vulnerable due to racial power status; and (3) whether power differences in cross-racial friendships trigger negative mental health outcomes. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health, Wave 1) are used. Power differences are measured as the difference in friend nominations received (in-degree). Mental health is assessed with the CES-D scale (0–57), logarithmically transformed for analysis. Preliminary findings indicate that power asymmetry affects depression scores, with racial minorities more sensitive to negative effects. Future analyses will examine multi-level school effects and network formation using ERGMs…