First Advisor

Lee J. Haggerty

Term of Graduation

Fall 1985

Date of Publication

11-25-1985

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Sociology

Department

Sociology

Language

English

Subjects

Income distribution -- Oregon -- Portland Metropolitan Area, Discrimination in housing -- Oregon -- Portland Metropolitan Area, African Americans -- Housing -- Oregon -- Portland Metropolitan Area

DOI

10.15760/etd.2872

Physical Description

1 online resource (3, 78 pages)

Abstract

Changes in the patterns of income and residential segregation were examined in the Portland Metropolitan Area. The 1970 and 1980 Census of Population and Housing were used in calculating the indexes of dissimilarity between black and white populations. The data indicated a significant decrease in the residential segregation of blacks in suburban areas between 1970 and 1980. The central city area still remained highly segregated with a segregation index of 69.5.

Taeuber's index of dissimilarity was used in calculating the unevenness in the distribution of income between blacks and whites. Suburbia showed a significant decrease in income segregation compared to the central city area. Overall, both residential and income segregation were dropping at a much faster rate in the suburban areas than the central city areas.

To examine the effects of socio-economic status on residential segregation, a sample of 138 blacks was drawn from the population of higher status blacks in the city of Portland. Residential choices of the influential blacks were examined to determine whether or not their influential status was accompanied by a tendency toward greater integration as opposed to greater segregation. The 1980 Census Tract Street Index was used in this analysis. The data show that despite the improvement in socio-economic status, a majority of these blacks still lived in the "ghetto" area (59%) and only 14% lived in suburbia. Therefore, the data show no significant relationship between the gains in the status and the tendency toward more integration. This tendency bears directly upon the issue of voluntary segregation.

The data shows strong support for hypothesis two holding that change in income inequality results in change in residential segregation. That is, if we reduce the income differentials between black and white populations, racial residential segregation will be minimized.

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Comments

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/17321

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