In this research there are five setting: the neighborhood, the schools, work places, voluntary associations, and family networks. These settings are compared to each other as well as to the situation where no organized setting is shared. Couples who meet outside organized settings may either meet by coincidence, or may find a partner through bars, private parties, or their own network. The main difference between the “setting “ and “no setting” condition lies in the distinction between preference and constraint. When people meet in organized settings, preferences and opportunities are both operating in the same direction. When people meet outside organized settings, in contrast, the selection process is largely shaped by preferences. People have preferences for socially or culturally simila
These results make a lot of sense. Hypotheses about interaction opportunities are part of a general supply-side perspective on social relations. The supply-side perspective argues that the social contexts, in which people participate, mold their networks by shaping the pool from which they draw their contacts. Demand-side theories, in contrast, emphasize the preferences people have to meet and select a specific type of partner. The two preferences provide complementary insights in the way personal relationships are formed and are sometimes combined into the notion of filtering. Institutional arrangements delimit the pool from which people can choose, and preferences determine how people choose partners out of the pool they face. The supply-side perspective is particularly relevant in that it makes a classica