Political Homophily On The Web

Homophily is a central concept within sociological research and describes the preference of actors in social networks to form ties on the basis of shared attributes, such as gender and race, as well as subjective characteristics such as political affiliations and desires for certain consumer goods. The study of homophily can provide important insights into the diffusion of information and behaviours within a society and has been particularly useful in understanding online community formation given the self-selected nature of the information consumed.