Using detailed data on friendship networks within neighborhoods, we investigate the importance of social interactions in one’s own residential neighborhood in the demand for housing quality. We find evidence consistent with the presence of peer effects, especially for households living in...

In this paper we relate a particular form of social interactions, i.e. peer group influences, to the structure of the network from which they originate. Using an extremely detailed dataset on friendship relationships between students from U.S. school, we find evidence suggesting that the...

We investigate the racial gap in test scores between white and non-white students in Britain both in levels and differences across the school years. We find that there is a substantial racial gap in test scores, especially between ages 7 and 11, and a less severe one between ages 11 and 16. It...

Using the UK Fourth National Survey of Ethnic Minorities, we explore the determinants of religious identity for Muslims and non-Muslims. We find that Muslims integrate less and more slowly than non-Muslims. A Muslim born in the UK and having spent there more than 50 years shows a comparable...

In this paper we contribute to the analysis of the assimilation process of migrants by analyzing the extent to which friendship with natives can be seen as a measure of cultural assimilation and investigating the formation of social ties in the host country. Using novel information from the...