Friends play an essential role in everyone’s life, offering companionship and a safe space to share personal thoughts and feelings.
A recent University of Michigan study reveals important information about the patterns and supportive functions of friendships among African Americans.
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One intriguing aspect is that separated, divorced, widowed and never-married individuals interacted with friends more frequently than married ones. Friendships, then, are a critical component of the support networks of unmarried adults, researchers say.
Their research, published in the journal Sociological Focus, is among the first to deeply examine the social support networks within African American communities.
Using data from the National Survey of American Life, which included responses from more than 3,500 African American adults collected between 2001-03, the researchers explored the sociodemographic factors influencing friendships. They looked into aspects like marital status and overall life circumstances.
The study measured four key relationship elements: subjective closeness, frequency of contact, support provided to friends and support received from friends. Nearly 45% of respondents reported feeling very close to their friends, with about 71% interacting at least once a week.
Women and individuals with higher levels of formal education reported feeling closer to their friends. Conversely, parents and those experiencing significant material hardship felt less close to their friends.
Age and perceived closeness to friends also were significantly linked to the frequency of friendship contact, with age negatively affecting this contact.
“Older adults may have fewer opportunities to both interact with and provide support to friends,” said lead author Robert Taylor, professor of social work in the School of Social Work.
Interestingly, the study discovered no age difference in receiving support from friends, suggesting that the level of support received remains consistent across different adult age groups.
The study also highlighted a bidirectional relationship between closeness and frequency of contact. As the researchers put it, “Individuals who are close to their friends interact with them more frequently, and more frequent interaction promotes feelings of closeness.”
The research sheds light on the evolving dynamics of friendships within the African American community, particularly as individuals age, and underscores the importance of understanding and supporting these social networks.
Study co-authors are Linda Chatters, the Paula Allen-Meares Collegiate Professor of Social Work and professor of social work in the School of Social Work, and professor of health behavior and health equity in the School of Public Health; Ann Nguyen, associate professor at Case Western Reserve; Harry Taylor and Kazumi Tsuchiya, assistant professors at the University of Toronto; and Analidis Ochoa, a U-M doctoral student in social work and sociology.
