70 Ethnic sorting in football level6. Part of the increase in mixed interactions might take place between clubs instead of within clubs. While Janssens and Verweel’s study (2014) suggests that there is little reason to assume that ‘separate’ or ‘mixed’ clubs have diametrically opposed effects on ethnic relations, the potential for the development of durable interpersonal ties is most likely strongly diminished in the first instance. Moreover, when ethnic groups meet in the competitive and sometimes heated setting of the sports arena, this also involves a risk for escalation and reaffirmation of interethnic prejudice (Krouwel et al., 2006). The second factor which could drive differences in ethnic inbreeding of groups is the presence or absence of interethnic boundaries. While I did find that the two groups which were expected to experience strong boundaries between themselves and various others were also on average the most segregated, there was no clear evidence that these boundaries caused strong and clear patterns of segregation between all groups. Surinamese members were much more segregated than both dimensions would have suggested. A possible explanation for this, as well as for the lack of clear effects of language and religion, might be that these dimensions are overshadowed by a strong pattern of residential segregation for this group. Additionally, I found little proof for bonding over religion between members with Turkish and Moroccan backgrounds. The group size of these two groups might explain why they feel little need to join the same clubs. Additionally, citizens with Moroccan and Turkish backgrounds experience religion segregated from each other, in separate Mosques with services held in different languages. Language in this case might supersede religion. The mechanisms which drive people with similar ethnic backgrounds together are manifold and strongly intertwined, making it both difficult and, to a certain extent, problematic to isolate causal factors. The ethnic homogeneity of the family unit and the unequal distribution of ethnic groups over geographic space – for example due to selective settlement after immigration - present people from the very beginning with skewed starting positions for a lifelong of tieformation. Overlapping cleavages between ethnic background and other important social characteristics7, such as economic capital, educational 6 The focus of this study was put on ethnic inbreeding in co-membership ties. See Zwahlen, Nagel and Schlesinger (2018) for an important discussion on the topic of social integration in club contexts beyond the notion of membership. 7 Described as social consolidation (McPherson & Smith-Lovin, 1987).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY0ODMw