Race, Network Socioeconomic Status, and Health: Are There Black-White Differences in the Health Returns of Having Higher-Educated Network Ties?

Does having ties to people of higher socioeconomic status (SES) yield differential health returns for Black and White people? Guided by the social network perspective, theories of social capital, and the diminishing returns hypothesis, this study uses a stratified probability sample of Indiana residents (N = 2,416) and egocentric network methods to examine this question. Findings reveal significant racial heterogeneity in the nature and magnitude of the association between network SES (operationalized by network members' education levels) and health. Among White respondents, having higher-SES ties was consistently salubrious. Among Black respondents, results were more complex and heterogeneous: Higher network SES was associated with improved self-rated health but not with improvements in resting heart rate or body mass index. These findings support the notion of diminishing health returns of network SES among Black respondents-specifically for physiological health but not for subjective health. Theoretical and methodological implications of these findings are discussed.