Segregation: What is in a Name?

Abstract: Previous studies have attempted to define segregation succinctly but have not reached a consensus. Adding to the unsettled debates was the recent shift from using place-based to person-based data in segregation studies and the large volume of studies using this newer type of data. Thus, there is a need to review and examine the essences of segregation measurements and critically evaluate if studies measured segregation competently. First part of the review starts from deducing the meanings of segregation from the literature addressing the conceptual meanings of segregation. We propose four elements that can be used to characterize segregation measures: dimensions, spatial extent, social extent, and data type; and they form the framework to review representative papers using place-based and person-based data. Besides confirming the salience of distribution and interaction in measuring segregation, the review also shows a trend from using spatially aggregated place-based data to individual-level person-based data. The review also highlights the challenges in measuring social interaction as it has been determined imprecisely in previous studies. In addition, existing measures are weak in reflecting the disparities in accessing resources and opportunities. Finally, we propose a segregation measurement framework for physical and virtual spaces using person-based data partly based on the review results. Some directions for future studies in measuring segregation will be suggested.

About the Speaker:

Professor Wong spent two years between 2013 and 2015 teaching in the Department of Geography at the University of Hong Kong. He has broad research interests, ranging from geovisualization, to the more social-oriented issues in spatial epidemiology and aging. His primary research interest is in population analysis, particularly in measuring segregation. Some of his publications include three co-authored books and more than 90 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Some of his research funding supports were provided by the U.S. Housing Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Census Bureau and National Institutes of Health (both the National Institute of Child Health & Development and National Cancer Institute). He has served on the editorial boards of several international journals in GIS, spatial analysis and population.