If you remember high school as an occasionally awkward series of confrontations between tribes of similar-grouping kids, this is a good sign that you…went to high school. Most high schools segregate by “type,” whether it’s age, class, ethnic background, or volume of face makeup. Some schools are ruled by cliques that are as hardened as castes. Others don’t have the same razor-sharp divisions between nerds, goths, lax bros, and queen bees.
What’s behind the difference between schools, if the instinct to be around similar people is universal? McFarland says it’s not about the students. It’s about the schools, themselves. The way high schools are designed—their size, their level of diversity, and the way they treat students—can either drive students to segregate based on things like household income and race, or force them to build relationships that are more about their high school life than their socioeconomic backgrounds.
In bigger high schools, students are exposed to a greater diversity of students, which might make you think they’d be more likely to form friendships across socioeconomic barriers. Instead, McFarland found that in these schools, students are more anxious about finding meaningful relationships, and they respond by seeking out familiar peers who offer security, support, and protection.
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