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Complex Networks and Dynamics pp 93–119Cite as

An Overview of the Measurement of Segregation: Classical Approaches and Social Network Analysis

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems ((LNE,volume 683))

Abstract

We present a comprehensive overview of the literature on the measurement on segregation. With a focus on the evenness and exposure dimensions—two of the five dimensions of segregation in the multi-dimensional framework defined by Massey and Denton (Soc Forces 67(2):281–315, 1988)—we introduce some of the most relevant segregation measures developed under the classical statistical approach and under the social networks analysis framework. We also briefly describe two different approaches for the definition of segregation measures when using social networks, namely the use of descriptive graph statistics and the use of spectral graph theory.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This debate can be recreated through Cohen et al. (1976), Cortese et al. (1976), Taeuber and Taeuber (1976), Winship (1977, 1978), Falk et al. (1978), Kestembaum (1980), Coleman et al. (1982), Lieberson and Carter (1982), White (1983), James and Taeuber (1985), and the many references therein.

  2. 2.

    Often referred to as the Shannon index, after the related work on information theory (Shannon 1948; Shannon and Weaver 1949; see also Khinchin 1957). Its application to the analysis of segregation was introduced by Theil and Finizza (1971) in an analysis of racial entropy in the Chicago public schools.

  3. 3.

    Massey and Denton (1988) propose some indices as the most appropriate for these three dimensions. A large body of research in the literature relates to the definition of spatial measures, see Reardon and O’Sullivan (2004) and Cohn and Jackman (2011) for a detailed account.

  4. 4.

    Empirical studies have found strong evidence of homophily with respect to age (e.g. Verbrugge 1977, Marsden 1988, and Burt 1991), education (e.g. Marsden 1987 and Kalmijn 2006), income (e.g. Laumann 1966 and Laumann 1973), ethnicity (e.g. Baerveldt et al. 2004 and Ibarra 1995) or geographical distance (e.g. Campbell 1990 and Wellman 1996). Homophily has been found to matter in a wide range of social interactions such as friendship and marriage, job market outcomes, speed of information diffusion, speed or learning, consensus reaching and even social mobility (see Currarini et al. 2009, Brammoullie and Kranton 2007, and Golub and Jackson 2012a,b).

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Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to Coralio Ballester for many fruitful discussions.

The author “Marc Vorsatz” gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Fundación Ramón Areces and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (ECO2012-31985).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Paseo Senda del Rey 11, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Antonio Rodriguez-Moral

  2. Departamento de Análisis Económico II, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Paseo Senda del Rey 11, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Marc Vorsatz

  3. Fundación de Estudios de Economía Aplicada (FEDEA), Calle Jorge Juan 46, 28001, Madrid, Spain

    Marc Vorsatz

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  1. Antonio Rodriguez-Moral
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Correspondence to Marc Vorsatz .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Law, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy

    Pasquale Commendatore

  2. Faculty of Economics, UNED, Madrid, Spain

    Mariano Matilla-García

  3. Faculty of Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Luis M. Varela

  4. Department of Applied Mathematics, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain

    Jose S. Cánovas

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Rodriguez-Moral, A., Vorsatz, M. (2016). An Overview of the Measurement of Segregation: Classical Approaches and Social Network Analysis. In: Commendatore, P., Matilla-García, M., Varela, L., Cánovas, J. (eds) Complex Networks and Dynamics. Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems, vol 683. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40803-3_5

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