INTEGRATING INDIVIDUAL, RELATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL-ANALYSIS

The first part of this paper presents a statistical model which integrates individual, relational and network data, despite their different units of analysis. The model uses a stepwise approach to find the least number of parameters which adequately fit the data. The second part of this paper uses this model to analyze how the marital status of Torontonians is related to the kinship composition and social density of their intimate networks. It shows that kinship and friendship usually comprise independent social circles within these networks. The larger networks of married respondents tend to contain a higher proportion of kin, and consequently, to be more densely-knit. Yet single respondents tend to have more densely-knit clusters of intimates within their friendship-based networks. This is because marriage rarely joins the intimates of spouses.