A child’s first social group is profoundly shaped by his or her first neighborhood—something an infant cannot possibly control. The power of geography returns with a vengeance in parenthood. The parents of students often become close friends with each other, and these social groups can be deeply homophilic as well. Many elementary schools are heavily sorted by geography (which reflects similar income and demography) and the children’s abilities (which reflect, to a certain extent, the parents’ genes, values, and socioeconomic status). Geography and schools shape parents’ social networks, three
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