Research: How Socioeconomic Status Impacts the Way We Network

People need to connect with others, especially in crisis. When facing something as stressful as a job loss, personal networks — friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances — can protect us from financial and emotional freefall.

Research conducted prior to the pandemic examined how high and low socioeconomic status people vary in activating their networks when they faced job threats. They usually choose one of two approaches: “widening,” expanding networks beyond one’s inner circle; or “winnowing,” drawing inwards to smaller, tighter networks. When high and low socioeconomic status people experienced job threats, lower socioeconomic status people tended to winnow (reporting smaller, more constrained networks), whereas high status people tended to widen (reporting larger, less constrained networks). Both groups reported that losing a job felt equally threatening, but turned to different subsections of their networks in response.

Why do these distinct responses matter? In crises, we all need comfort from our inner circles. But when higher socioeconomic status individuals widen to contacts with more novel information and opportunity, they position themselves to rebound from threats.