▁occup ational ▁social ▁status . ▁It ▁also ▁highlight ed ▁the ▁t ension ▁individuals ▁experience ▁between ▁their ▁preference ▁to ▁associate ▁with ▁people ▁who ▁are ▁like ▁them ▁( hom oph ily ) ▁and ▁their ▁simultane ous ▁desire ▁to ▁affili ate ▁with ▁higher - status ▁others . ▁Later , ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁his ▁career ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago , ▁La umann ▁would ▁argue ▁that ▁how ▁the ▁imp uls es ▁are ▁resolved ▁by ▁individuals ▁forms ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁corpor ate ▁or ▁compet itive ▁class ▁conscious ness ▁within ▁a ▁given ▁community . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁demonstr ating ▁how ▁community ▁solid ar ity ▁can ▁be ▁concept ual ized ▁as ▁a ▁social ▁network ▁and ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁eth nic ity , ▁religion , ▁and ▁class ▁in ▁sh aping ▁such ▁networks , ▁La umann ' s ▁dis sert ation ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁examples ▁of ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁population - based ▁surve ys ▁in ▁the ▁collection ▁of ▁social ▁network ▁data , ▁and ▁thus ▁a ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁dec ades ▁of ▁eg oc ent ric ▁social ▁network ▁analysis . ▁Par s ons ▁thus ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁sh aping ▁social ▁network ▁analysis ' s ▁early ▁interest ▁in ▁hom oph ily ▁and ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁eg oc ent ric ▁network ▁data ▁to ▁assess ▁group - ▁and ▁community - level ▁social ▁network ▁structures . ▁ ▁Systems ▁theory ▁on ▁bi ological ▁and ▁social ▁systems ▁In ▁his ▁later ▁years , ▁Par s ons ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁interested ▁in ▁working ▁out ▁the ▁higher ▁concept ual ▁parameters ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁condition , ▁which ▁was