TY - JOUR
T1 - Stable racial integration in the contemporary United States
T2 - An empirical overview
AU - Ellen, Ingrid Gould
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - This article presents a broad empirical overview of the extent of racial integration in the contemporary United States. It begins with a discussion of how to measure stable racial integration in neighborhoods. Then, examining data from 34 metropolitan areas, it shows that while integrated neighborhoods containing blacks and whites are considerably less stable than more homogeneous communities, a majority remain integrated over time. Moreover, integration appears to be growing more viable, with racially integrated communities more likely to be stable during the 1980s than during the previous decade. The growing prevalence of stable, racially integrated neighborhoods is an important fact, running counter to the popular, and often self-fulfilling, view that integration is unviable. These communities offer important research opportunities as well. A better understanding of the circumstances under which racial integration seems to succeed will ultimately shed light on the causes of America's undeniably extreme level of segregation.
AB - This article presents a broad empirical overview of the extent of racial integration in the contemporary United States. It begins with a discussion of how to measure stable racial integration in neighborhoods. Then, examining data from 34 metropolitan areas, it shows that while integrated neighborhoods containing blacks and whites are considerably less stable than more homogeneous communities, a majority remain integrated over time. Moreover, integration appears to be growing more viable, with racially integrated communities more likely to be stable during the 1980s than during the previous decade. The growing prevalence of stable, racially integrated neighborhoods is an important fact, running counter to the popular, and often self-fulfilling, view that integration is unviable. These communities offer important research opportunities as well. A better understanding of the circumstances under which racial integration seems to succeed will ultimately shed light on the causes of America's undeniably extreme level of segregation.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032391459&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032391459&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1467-9906.1998.tb00408.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1467-9906.1998.tb00408.x
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:0032391459
SN - 0735-2166
VL - 20
SP - 27
EP - 42
JO - Journal of Urban Affairs
JF - Journal of Urban Affairs
IS - 1
ER -