The Peer Effect - by Syed Ali & Margaret M Chin (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A comprehensive examination of how peers and peer cultures affect young people's behavior and long-term outcomes, as well as peers and peer cultures of the workplace affect adult behavior and misconduct, including police misconduct"--

Book Synopsis

How the power of peers and peer culture shapes individual behavior and future success

For decades, parents across America have asked their kids, "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?" The answer is, "Duh, yes." Peers, as parents well know, have a tremendous impact on who their kids are and what they will become. And even while they insist otherwise, parents know that they're largely powerless to change this. But the effect of peers is not just a story about kids; peers can also affect adult behavior--they affect what we do and who we are well into old age. Noted sociologists Syed Ali and Margaret M. Chin call this "the peer effect." In their book, they take readers on a tour of how our peers, and the peer cultures they create, shape our behavior in schools and the workplace. Ali and Chin begin their look at the peer effect at the high school from which they both graduated: New York City's prestigious Stuyvesant High School, arguably the best public high school in the nation. Through a fascinating and often humorous narrative, they show how peers can influence each other--in this case, how highly motivated students can create a culture of influence to achieve success in learning and in admission to elite colleges. They also show the many other ways that peers can influence one another beyond school performance, from hookup culture to school bullying and youth suicide.

Ali and Chin are also interested in the extent to which the peer effect can last. Through interviews with adult graduates of Stuyvesant, they investigate the long-lasting effects of high school peer culture. They also examine the peer effect in post-high school settings, notably around workplace misconduct, including the steroid culture in baseball and the use of excessive force by the police. The Peer Effect ultimately offers ways to understand the power of peer influence and apply this understanding to resolving issues regarding schools, college graduation rates, workplace culture, and police violence. In the tradition of big idea books like The Tipping Point, The Peer Effect will forever change the way we look at the world of human behavior.

Review Quotes

"The Peer Effect implores social scientists to seriously consider peers in our research. Ali and Chin walk us across social life to show us that peers matter, and in so doing present an agenda for future work."-- "Social Forces"

"Why is Stuyvesant such a success? One might point to conscientious parents, no-nonsense teachers and orderly classrooms, not to mention the smarts of the students themselves. But Dr. Ali and Dr. Chin argue that the key to student success is other students."-- "Wall Street Journal"

"The Peer Effect offers persuasive and refreshing perspectives on some of the toughest cultural conversations today--from school demographics to diversity initiatives in corporate America, racism in law enforcement to the (who knew?) futility of hands-on parenting. Syed Ali and Margaret Chin combine academic authority with a forthright style that makes them seem like people who'd actually be a joy to have as peers."-- "Ada Calhoun, ​​New York Times-bestselling author of Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis"

"The Peer Effect is a refreshingly honest evaluation of political and family dynamics that have driven personal and systemic educational decisions in NYC and around the country. This is a must-read for anyone interested in better understanding the educational landscape."-- "Akil Bello, Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest"

"Ali and Chin have written a stunning book on the power of our peers in shaping who we are and how we interact in the world. Challenging the myth that change comes from heroic individuals, willpower, or top-down commands, Ali and Chin argue that peer cultures encouraging positive norms can help fix pressing social problems. The Peer Effect is a rare book--cutting-edge research written with verve, humor, and committed to improving the world."-- "Victor Ray, author of On Critical Race Theory: Why It Matters & Why You Should Care"

"Ali and Chin knock down the myth that parents determine everything for kids and break down how peer pressure is not only about things that affect kids negatively. The Peer Effect helps readers understand segregation, economics, and one of the most valuable lessons of our pandemic era: that how we succeed in the world depends on the reinforcing success of our peers. A must-read for any parent, educator, or former student for understanding, not just schools, but how we can socialize one another into being better people."-- "Steven W. Thrasher, author of The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide"

"Ali and Chin write with passion about the influence of peers in a variety of domains--education, policing, and the workplace. They bring a wide range of sociological insights and a good dose of humor into this wide-ranging book."-- "Natasha Warikoo, author of Race at the Top: Asian Americans and Whites in Pursuit of the American Dream in Suburban Schools"

"Authors Ali and Chin take on the issue of school reform and diversity initiatives and weave an argument around how the effect of individual peers has greater influence than top-down structural attempts at change."-- "Hillary Anger Elfenbein, John K. Wallace, Jr. and Ellen A. Wallace Distinguished Professor, Olin School of Business, Washington University in St. Louis"

"By asserting that peers make all the difference, The Peer Effect introduces a provocative idea into a stale discourse. Surprisingly intuitive, exhaustively researched, and delightfully written, it has profound implications for everyone and every part of life. A must-read for anyone who belongs to anything!"-- "Lisa Wade, author of American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus"

"There's a certain allure to agency--to the idea that we make our own destinies or, in the case of parents and educators, that we can dictate how our kids' lives will turn out. The reality, however, as The Peer Effect, with its propulsive style and its engaging blend of personal anecdotes and research-based evidence makes clear, is that our agency is both created and constrained by the groups to which we belong."-- "Jessica McCrory Calarco, author of Negotiating Opportunities: How the Middle Class Secures Advantages in School"

"This highly convincing and totally readable book gives readers an inside tour of the ups and downs of the U.S. educational system."-- "Robert Crosnoe, author of Fitting In, Standing Out: Navigating the Social Challenges of High School to Get an Education"

"Whether you're an educator, policymaker, or organizational leader, this book will challenge you to account for the social dynamics that shape our lives and transform the places where we learn and work."-- "Sam M. Intrator, co-author of The Quest for Mastery: Positive Youth Development Through Out-of-School Programs"

"With an engaging mix of biography and research expertise, Ali and Chin present strong arguments for the connections between inequality, communities, and individual well-being. Peers matter. This is a really witty and compelling read!"-- "Prudence L. Carter, author of Stubborn Roots: Race, Culture, and Inequality in U.S. and South African Schools"

About the Author

Syed Ali (Author)
Syed Ali is Professor of Sociology at Long Island University-Brooklyn. He is the author of Dubai: Gilded Cage, co-author of Migration, Incorporation, and Change in an Interconnected World, and co-editor of The Contexts Reader.

Margaret M. Chin (Author)
Margaret M. Chin is Professor of Sociology at CUNY Hunter College and the Graduate Center. She is the author of the award-winning books Stuck: Why Asian Americans Don't Reach the Top of the Corporate Ladder and Sewing Women: Immigrants and the New York City Garment Industry.