  Social norms can facilitate societal coexistence in groups by providing an
implicitly shared set of expectations and behavioral guidelines. However,
different social groups can hold different norms, and lacking an overarching
normative consensus can lead to conflict within and between groups. In this
paper, we present an agent-based model that simulates the adoption of norms in
two interacting groups. We explore this phenomenon while varying relative group
sizes and homophily/heterophily (two features of network structure), and
initial group norm distributions. Agents update their norm according to an
adapted version of Granovetter's threshold model, using a uniform distribution
of thresholds. We study the impact of network structure and initial norm
distributions on the process of achieving normative consensus and the resulting
potential for intragroup and intergroup conflict. Our results show that norm
change is most likely when norms are strongly tied to group membership. Groups
end up with the most similar norm distributions when networks are heterophilic,
with small to middling minority groups. High homophilic networks show high
potential intergroup conflict and low potential intragroup conflict, while the
opposite pattern emerges for high heterophilic networks.
