James Kitts

Social Influence and the Emergence of Norms Amid Ties of Amity and Enmity

Abstract:
This paper explores the coevolution of social networks and behavioral norms. Previous research has investigated the long-term behavior of feedback systems of attraction and influence, particularly the tendency toward homogenization in arbitrary cultural fields. This paper extends those models by allowing that norms diffuse not only by simple contagion but through intentional sanctioning behavior among peers. Further, the model allows for negative relations, where actors differentiate themselves from enemies while seeking to align themselves with friends. Sociometric maps reveal non-trivial system dynamics — structural bifurcation, discrimination between factions, and cycles of deviance and solidarity — emerging from a few elementary agent-level assumptions.

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