Friendship patterns among African American, Asian American, and Latino adolescents from low-income families

Using quantitative and qualitative methods, the present study sought to exp lore: the patterns or types of closest, same-sex friendships among ethnic m inority, low-income adolescents; the psychological and familial correlates of these patterns; and the adolescents' subjective experiences of each type of closest, same-sex friendships. Two hundred and thirteen African America n, Latino, and Asian American high school students participated in the stud y. Results of duster analyses suggested four types of closest, same-sex fri endships: (i) 'ideal'; (ii) 'engaged'; (iii) 'average'; and (iv) 'disengage d.' Girls and Latinos were most likely to have 'ideal' friendships, while b oys and Asian Americans were most likely to have 'disengaged' friendships. In addition, the 'disengaged' adolescents reported significantly lower self -esteem, higher levels of depressive symptoms, and lower levels of family s upport than the adolescents in the other cluster groups. The qualitative da ta suggested across and within group variability in the subjective experien ces of closest, same-sex friendships. Findings suggest new directions for f riendship research as well as new ways of conceptualizing the integration o f quantitative and qualitative data.