Living across Institutions: Exploring Sex-Based Homophily in Occupations and Voluntary Groups

In: Sociological perspectives, Band 46, Heft 1, S. 59-82

Abstract

Occupational sex segregation is well documented. Research on voluntary associations shows that these also are segregated by sex. However, little is known about the connections between these institutions. In this research, we explore the effects of occupational sex composition on the sex composition of respondents' voluntary memberships. We find a positive relationship between the sex composition of men's occupations and the sex composition of their voluntary memberships. This effect is found for women only when full-time homemaking is considered as an occupation. We attribute differences in our findings to the nature of occupational ties in social networks.