Segregation

Segregation is one of the starkest social realities of contemporary societies. Though often associated with explicitly racist laws of the past, it is a phenomenon that persists to this day and is a crucial element for understanding group relations and the wellbeing of different populations in society.

In this book, Eric Fong, Kumiko Shibuya, and Brent Berry provide a thorough discussion of the evolving complexity of segregation in its variety and variations. The authors focus not only on past trends and the development of segregation measures, but also the current state of affairs, and demonstrate the connections between the segregation of racial/ethnic groups and immigrant communities, along with poverty concentration. By taking a wide, cross-cutting view, the authors identify commonalities and differences in the causes, mechanisms, and consequences of segregation. Spatial and social segregation together perpetuate and reinforce the unequal distribution of resources among racial and ethnic groups, which in turn can have positive and negative consequences for individuals and groups.

This critical overview of segregation will be a valuable and insightful resource for students of sociology, geography, and ethnic studies, as well as those keen to get a handle on this persistent challenge to equal and inclusive societies.

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2 WHAT IS SEGREGATION?

CHAPTER 3 THE MEASUREMENT OF SEGREGATION

CHAPTER 4 RACIAL AND ETHNIC RESIDENTIAL PATTERNS

CHAPTER 5 INCOME SEGREGATION

CHAPTER 6 ETHNIC COMMUNITIES

CHAPTER 7 RESIDENTIAL AND SOCIAL SEGREGATION OF IMMIGRANTS

CHAPTER 8 CONCLUSION

"accessible, well-written, and thorough. . . . a great primer"
Ethnic and Racial Studies

“In their book Segregation, Fong, Shibuya and Berry offer a concise, masterful, and eminently readable summary of social science knowledge about patterns, trends, causes, and consequences of social and spatial segregation in the world’s growing urban population. I highly recommend it.”
Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University

“Segregation offers a rigorous analysis, based on well-formulated models and rich empirical data, of the spatial arrangement of urban neighborhoods in modern multicultural cities. It explains what segregation is, how it is measured, and what consequences it produces from historical, contemporary, and comparative perspectives. The study sheds important light on how urban patterns are shaped by class, race, nativity or immigration status and make a valuable contribution to the fields of urban sociology, urban studies, and human geography.”
Min Zhou, University of California, Los Angeles

Eric Fong is Chair Professor of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong.
Kumiko Shibuya is Associate Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong.
Brent Berry is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto.