Title:
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Measuring and understanding segregation
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Schelling's famous "spatial proximity" model of segregation was first introduced
in 1969. His work sets out to explore residential dynamics in populations of
) more than one ethnicity. In particular, the notion of "tolerance" shows how
even a small need for familiarity within one's neighbourhood can result in largescale
segregation. Schelling's "bounded neighbourhood model", outlined in the
same publication, has however received much less attention from economists and
mathematicians alike. This thesis provides a mathematical description of the latter
model as a nonlinear dynamical system with which to explore the consequences of
Schelling's intuition. In particular, we are able to deduce conditions under which
segregation is not inevitable.
The effect of varying the parameters and inputs of the model is studied in detail,
and we use techniques from network theory and nonlinear dynamics in order to
develop further variants of the model, beginning with those suggested by Schelling
himself. Some new measures are developed that aid in the quantitative description
of the equilibria of the model, based on the existing concepts of homophily and
modularity. These developments enhance the power of Schelling's model in describing
social dynamics.
Additional work focuses on the study of networks of social interactions. In particular,
we develop the idea of measuring segregation at the level of an individual agent
via the use of different measures of centrality. Some simple examples illustrate the
need for a range of measures in order to encapsulate an intuitive understanding of
this complex phenomenon. This work enriches the toolbox of segregation measures
available for future studies, allowing for deeper understanding of the structure of
social systems.
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