Neighborhood segregation is the physical separation of urban residents into two or more neighborhoods. Although urban neighborhood segregation has been attributed to some social causes such as racism and ethnicity, there is growing evidence that different economic statuses are the key underpinning reason for neighborhood segregations. Members of different ethnic groupings live in segregated city zones due to their general different economic statuses (Bischoff and Reardon 34-40). From the US Census statistics, as in 1960s, it is evident that those communities that had lower incomes tended to live in neighborhoods regarded as poor. From 1960s, however, racial neighborhood separation has diminished significantly. This has been attributed to the rising income levels and reducing racial policies and sentiments among people of different social groupings. As economic opportunities become available to everybody, the rich from different races now become more likely to reside in same neighborhoods, separate from those with low incomes (United States Census Bureau 6). According to the Economic Theory on Sorting and Opportunity, wealthy individuals from any social community would want to live in a neighborhood that offers well resourced schools, shields from social problems, advantaged social networks and more economic opportunities of advanced incomes (Boustan 2-10).
Economic wealth, and more specifically family income, enables people to afford paying rent according to the rental costs of a given neighborhood. This is also the case of living in a certain location in the same neighborhood. Residing near strategic places such as parks, schools, market, and places of employment will have the neighborhood dweller paying higher rent (Bischoff and Reardon 34-40). In this regard, higher income families will tend to live in neighborhoods with higher incomes because they can afford them. The linkage of family income disparities among dwellers of the same neighborhood can roughly be ascertained with their proximity to strategic locations such as school, places of employment and safety points in the neighborhood (Boustan 2-10).
Neighborhood segregation is also determined by homeownership abilities. Those with already accumulated wealth will find it easy to own a home, because they can successfully find mortgage underwriters. More wealth can enable one to obtain a mortgage that is underwritten at relatively favorable terms like low interest rates. Connected to this observation is that since owning a home is usually part of wealth expansion among wealthy people, only those that have higher wealth will find owning homes in wealthy neighborhoods favorable and affordable. During recession, people of lower or more moderate wealths are usually forced out of richer neighborhoods (Herbert, McCue, and Sanchez-Moyano 1-5).
Neighborhood segregation can be cyclical if no favorable measures are taken to address the issue of social and economic mobility among all citizens in the country. Kain’s work on Spatial Mismatch has noted that people segregated in poor neighborhoods would continue to live in them in several generations. Residents of poor neighborhoods usually face high commuting costs and are likely not to get immediate information regarding job openings. Although such communities may get windfall firms migrating near them, they would not experience any significant increments in their incomes or wealth. Such firms are usually smaller, requiring people with less complex skills and thus paying them low salaries (United States Census Bureau 6). To help such residents of poor neighborhoods for them to migrate to other neighborhoods, spatial mismatches have to be eliminated. Physical distances should be reduced by means of affordable transport, and there should be strategies for information gains among all members of the neighborhood regarding job openings. These measures will reduce sprawling neighborhood differences due to sharp increases in economic inequality (Massey 1-5).
Annotated Bibliography
Boustan, Leah P. Racial Residential Segregation in American Cities. New York: OUP, 2011. Print.
This book examines causes and consequences of neighborhood segregations in Metropolitan areas of the United States. It has advanced both social and economic reasons why neighborhood segregation occurs, with emphasis on black and white neighborhoods. The book has also advanced economic and social measures of reducing economic inequality that results in the likely segregations due to incomes.
Herbert, Christopher, E., McCue, Daniel, T. and Sanchez-Moyano, R. Is Homeownership Still an Effective Means of Building Wealth for Low-income and Minority Households? (Was it Ever?).Homeownership Built to Last: Lessons from the Housing Crisis on Sustaining Homeownership for Low-Income and Minority Families –A National Symposium held on April 1 and 2, 2013 at Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. Print.
The paper discusses why wealth becomes the major determinant of owning a home in segregated neighborhoods. It traces home ownership and rises of wealth ownership in America as from 1990s. It highlights how wealth as expressed in asset is important in enabling wellbeing of the family including home ownership.
Massey, Douglas, S. Residential Segregation and Neighborhood Conditions in U.S. Metropolitan Areas. America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their Consequences, 1(2011). Print.
The essay discusses effects of spatial mismatch and how it can be corrected. In this regard, it explores the notion of how resources and opportunities can be unevenly distributed in the space. It proposes economic and social measures for correcting such misshape to enable economic and social motilities.
Bischoff, Kendra and Reardon, Sean, F. Residential Segregation by Income, 1970-2009. US2010, 2013. Print.
The essay describes trends and patterns regarding segregations related to incomes in urban areas for the last 40 years. It also explores different measures of income segregation. Lastly, it relates income growths to social economic conditions such as neighborhood segregations.
United States Census Bureau. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014. Washington: US Department of Commerce, 2015. Print.
The Census Report contains important information regarding income, poverty and housing statistics. It provides income earning measures of families, indicating their poverty types and levels. In this regard, family income and poverty are noted with their areas or zones of residence.
Works Cited
Bischoff, Kendra and Reardon, Sean, F. Residential Segregation by Income, 1970-2009.
US2010, 2013. Print.
Boustan, Leah P. Racial Residential Segregation in American Cities. New York: OUP, 2011.
Print.
Herbert, Christopher, E., McCue, Daniel, T. and Sanchez-Moyano, R. Is Homeownership Still an
Effective Means of Building Wealth for Low-income and Minority Households? (Was it Ever?).Homeownership Built to Last: Lessons from the Housing Crisis on Sustaining Homeownership for Low-Income and Minority Families –A National Symposium held on April 1 and 2, 2013 at Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. Print.
Massey, Douglas, S. Residential Segregation and Neighborhood Conditions in U.S. Metropolitan
Areas. America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their Consequences, 1(2011). Print.
United States Census Bureau. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014. Washington: US
