126 Ethnic sorting in football selective recruitment and retention (McPherson et al., 1992; McPherson, 1983, 2004). In this model, the homophily principle makes up the core mechanism which dictates how competition of member’s time and energy plays out. If distance in social space expresses similarity in sociodemographic characteristics, the homophily principle implies that the membership longevity is inversely related to the sum of social distance between a member and other members of that same organization. This idea is confirmed by the inverse relationship between ingroup size and member dropout presented in this dissertation. The positive effect of outgroup fractionalization on member dropout, however, adds a second principle governing the ties between positions in social space. Namely, membership ties are not only a function of the similarity between a member and his or her comembers, but also a function of the degree of similarity between comembers specifically. Consequently, the equation for membership longevity in terms of social distance consists of two parts instead of one: the sum of the distance between a member and comembers and, additionally, the sum of the distance between comembers. This second principle, which we, in an homage to Putnam (2007), may call the constriction principle – i.e., people favour groups or organizations that are constricted in social space as opposed to those that are dispersed – is theoretically congruent with McPherson's ecological model of affiliation. Namely, just like the homophily principle, the constriction principle suggests that homogeneous organizations are more stable over time, which stimulates segregation and the formation of organizational niches. A relational perspective Finally, this study’s findings have also demonstrated the complex nature of underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in sports clubs and voluntary associations in general. While it is tempting to explain ethnic differences as the mere result of aggregated group differences in resources or access, or of a more or less developed civic culture, this dissertation has demonstrated the merit of taking a relational perspective. Namely, ethnic background cannot solely be regarded as a static characteristic. Instead, its social meaning and consequences are for an important part defined in relation to the backgrounds of others, underscoring the importance of theories that incorporate this relational aspect.
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