ABSTRACT
Some people have many friends; others have none. Granted, some people are more sociable or gregarious than others, and this influences the extent of friendships that they enjoy. However, friendship is harder to access for some people than others. Individuals who are from minority groups, who are disabled, who have precarious incomes or housing tend to have fewer friends than those who are well-off. Those who are different from others, such as the neuroatypical or the unconventional person, may find themselves with few or no friends. Worse, some people can find themselves ostracized or bullied, a situation that can have serious adverse effects on the object of ostracism. Influential thinkers such as Charles Taylor, Alexis de Tocqueville, and John Stuart Mill wrote about the dangers of ostracism and its conflicts with democracy, a form of government that respects the pluralism of opinions and the equality of citizenship. A policy to encourage friendship should be targeted towards improving access to friendship for socially isolated people and providing incentives for people with abundant social capital to befriend others.
