Gender and racial peer effects with endogenous network formation

Chih-Sheng Hsieh and Xu Lin

Regional Science and Urban Economics, 2017, vol. 67, issue C, 135-147

Abstract: We apply a high order spatial autoregressive (SAR) model to simultaneously capture heterogeneous peer effects from multiple gender and racial groups, as well as endogenous network formation. In students’ GPA and smoking behaviors, we find that within-gender endogenous effects are stronger than cross-gender effects. Females and whites are more sensitive to peer influences and more influential than other students. Intra-race spillover effects are stronger than inter-race effects for whites, but not for non-whites. Homophily on observed and unobserved characteristics are important for friendship formation. However, the formation of friendship is not necessary motivated by common interest in outcomes such as smoking. Our findings suggest that coeducational or desegregated schooling may help increase academic achievement, but not reduce smoking frequency.

Keywords: Bayesian estimation; Endogenous network; Gender peer effect; Racial peer effect; Spatial autoregressive (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 I21 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:regeco:v:67:y:2017:i:c:p:135-147

DOI: 10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2017.09.001

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