How low can it go? Declining black-white segregation in a multiethnic context

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Urban Studies
• Demography

Background:

• Research on white-Black neighborhood contact and segregation is extended.
• Existing measures do not fully account for multiethnic contexts.
• The study focuses on the minimum level of segregation (the "floor") under low contact conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a new measure for the floor of racial residential segregation.
• To examine how multiethnic contexts influence Black-White segregation.
• To assess the conditions under which Black-White desegregation is likely or unlikely.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel measurement for the floor of racial residential segregation.
• Analysis incorporating population composition and interethnic contact levels.
• Modeling the impact of multiethnic contexts on segregation dynamics.

Main Results:

• Black-White desegregation is probable when the Black population share is minimal.
• Desegregation becomes improbable as the Black population share increases.
• In sufficiently large multiethnic contexts, moderate Black-White segregation is required for whites to maintain low neighborhood contact, irrespective of the Black population size.

Conclusions:

• The size of the Black population is a primary determinant of Black-White desegregation.
• Multiethnic contexts introduce complexities, potentially necessitating segregation to maintain low intergroup contact.
• Findings challenge simple assumptions about desegregation and highlight the role of context in shaping residential patterns.