How Spatial Segregation Changes over Time: Sorting Out the Sorting Processes

Abstract

Although there is strong evidence that segregation on socio-economic lines has risen in the many countries over the last few decades, comparatively little is known about the processes by which this happens. While it is often assumed that selective migration is the dominant process, this is rarely demonstrated. This paper proposes a more comprehensive framework to analyse processes driving changes in segregation -a 'neighbourhood accounts' framework.

Internal migration, area effects and health: Does where you move to impact upon your health?

“…There is a trade-off between a greater number of groups a variable is categorised into providing more accurate matches, yet also being less likely to get exact matching for all cases (Iacus et al, 2012). Age, sex and annual income (£) were used since previous research has demonstrated differences in migration patterns by these factors (Bailey, 2012;Catney and Simpson, 2010;Champion, 2012;Evandrou et al, 2010). No further variables were included to minimise the amount of noise added to the process, as it becomes more difficult to find exact matches across a greater range of variables (Iacus et al, 2011(Iacus et al, , 2012.…”

Understanding Neighbourhood Population Dynamics for Neighbourhood Effects Research: A Review of Recent Evidence and Data Source Developments

“…The sorting and re-sorting of people across space gives rise to segregation and, in turn, to the possibility of neighbourhood effects. Many studies portray selective migration as the only factor giving rise to segregation but there is growing recognition of a wider range of processes at work (Finney and Simpson 2009 ;Bailey 2012 ) . Understanding the relative contribution of selective migration and other processes to changes in segregation may aid our understanding of how neighbourhood effects operate.…”

“…The potential for 'noise' to swamp any 'signal' is very great and there is a corresponding danger that any biases in measurement may have a substantial in fl uence on results. Bailey andLivingston ( 2007, 2008 ) review the different methods that have been used to study selective migration. They stress the inherent weakness of estimates derived from 'mover surveys' in particular.…”

“…These different approaches have been combined and extended in a more comprehensive framework by Bailey ( 2012 ) . That paper identi fi es a total of nine different processes which account for changes in neighbourhood composition over time, and hence changes in spatial segregation.…”

Residential mobility in context: Interpreting behavior in the housing market

“…What we know now is that even without any discriminatory behavior in the housing market a slight preference for "like" neighbors can create significant levels of residential separation (sorting) as an outcome of mobility and cause it to persist. In other words, there are powerful forces at work to sort and to continue to sort populations by race, ethnicity and social status (Bailey, 2012;Clark and Morrison, 2012;Clark et al, 2014;Pais et al, 2009).…”