Reflections on the Dimensions of Segregation

Abstract

Nancy Denton and I published “The Dimensions of Residential Segregation” in 1988, during the early phases of a multi-year project funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The purpose of the project was to study the trends, patterns, causes, and consequences of racial and ethnic residential segregation the United States. Nancy was a postdoctoral research associate on the study at the time we began our investigation. In starting out, we encountered a vigorous debate in the literature about the “correct” or “right” way to measure neighborhood segregation that left us unsure about how to proceed methodologically.