Gender, ethnicity, and network characteristics: Variation in social support resources

While previous research has demonstrated the importance of social support resources for emotional well-being and health, few studies have explored the determinants of social support. We explore the effects of gender, ethnicity, other social statuses, and role configurations on informal social network characteristics in an analysis of a U.S. sample of adults, of which 14% are ethnic/racial minorities. Specifically, we examine the extent to which gender, ethnicity, and social roles influence the structural and dynamic characteristics of social networks.