ABSTRACT
Sociologists ordinarily think of social networks as beneficial sources of support, stability, and social capital. But they can have a dark side. In this chapter we suggest that social networks may exacerbate inequality between social groups and make it more difficult to overcome. This can happen when
A good, service, or practice helps individuals get ahead;
That good, service, or practice is characterized by network externalities, so that benefits 672to adopters are higher, or risks are lower, if members of one’s social network have already adopted it; and
Social networks are segregated with respect to some characteristic associated with adoption.
