Segregation and the Perpetuation of Disadvantage

Abstract

This article examines how segregation contributes to the perpetuation of disadvantage over time and across generations. It first traces the historical origins of segregation and reviews early substantive and theoretical work done on the subject at the University of Chicago. It then considers the most commonly used measure of segregation as well as the social mechanisms by which residential segregation is produced, with particular emphasis on the paradigmatic case of African Americans in the twentieth century. It also discusses newer mechanisms that have been advanced to promote racial-ethnic segregation in the twenty-first century and how it fosters socioeconomic inequality through the spatial concentration of poverty. Finally, it describes current levels and trends with respect to both racial and class segregation in cities around the world.

The spatialities of ageing: Evidencing increasing spatial polarisation between older and younger adults in England and Wales

“…For sub-national analyses, a district classification initially devised by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) is employed (Wallace, Charlton, and Denham 1995); this has been used in many studies of small area population change (e.g., Champion 2005). To assess the geographical spread (evenness) of the older relative to the younger age group over the study period, we apply the dissimilarity index (D) to maintain continuity and allow straightforward comparisons with other studies (Massey 2016). D indicates how unevenly distributed older adults are relative to younger adults across neighbourhoods nationally, in a district, or in a district type using the OPCS classification.…”

Racism and Health: Evidence and Needed Research

“…Fourth, greater attention should be given to similarities and differences across national and cultural contexts. For example, segregation levels are rising in Europe and are positively associated with darker-skinned nationalities and being Muslim, but there has been little analysis of the effects of this segregation on SES and health (82). A study that compared a national sample of Caribbean blacks in the United States to those in England found that in the United States increased black Caribbean ethnic density was associated with improved health, whereas increased black ethnic density was associated with worse health; the opposite pattern was evident for Caribbean blacks in England, however (10).…”

Unpacking Summary Measures of Ethnic Residential Segregation Using an Age Group and Age Cohort Perspective

“…The residential segregation literature is extensive and under continual advancement, including recent developments in methodological approaches (Wong 2016 ), conceptual frameworks (Crowder and Krysan 2016 ), and a growing empirical evidence base (Lloyd et al 2014a ; Maloutas and Fujita 2012 ; Massey 2016 ) for both pan-ethnic and detailed groups (Iceland et al 2014 ). However, we still have great difficulty when evaluating and explaining the dynamics of residential segregation (Charles 2003 ; Lichter 2013 ).…”