[originaltext] (16)Choosing a neighborhood in which to live can have a seri

(16)Choosing a neighborhood in which to live can have a serious impact on the nature of children’s friendships. In a study of 12-year-olds’ social relationships, Medrich and his colleagues discovered wide variations in friendship patterns across neighborhoods. One neighborhood called Monterey in Oakland, California, is white and wealthy, with large homes on oversized lots and plenty of space between houses. Friends often live far apart. The steep hills and lack of sidewalks make it hard for friends to see each other on their own. Instead of spontaneous meetings and unplanned play, parents often drive children to preplanned social events. In contrast, Yuba is a low-income black inner-city neighborhood. Houses are close together, friends are abundant and nearby, and play tends to be more extensive and spontaneous and less organized and planned. Friendship patterns in the two areas differ also. In Monterey, children are unusually selective in their friendships; many have only one or two friends whom they choose because they have "something in common." In contrast,(17)children of Yuba typically have four or five close friends, and are less exclusive in their selections, and move in large groups. Clearly ethnic and economic factors may account for some of these differences, but the physical environment of the two neighborhoods is probably responsible as well. Of course, both settings have advantages and drawbacks.(18)The affluent children complain that there are not enough children around and miss the freedom to control their social activities but enjoy the abundance of play space. The poor children gain more freedom and a wider network of friends but are often crowded and have fewer places to play. Neighborhoods do make a difference to the way in which friendships develop.
16. What does the study focus on?
17. What is the friendship pattern in Yuba?
18. What do children in Monterey complain about?