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Measuring Segregation: Basic Concepts and Extensions to Other Domains

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  • SILBER Jacques

Abstract

This paper presents the main concepts used in measuring segregation. First it shows that the cardinal as well as the ordinal approach to the measurement of occupational segregation, when only two groups are considered (generally men and women), borrowed many ideas from the income inequality measurement literature. Second, it shows that more recent advances in segregation measurement, that were the consequence of an extension of segregation measures to the case of multi-group segregation and more recently to the analysis of ordinal segregation, could be the basis for additional approaches to the measurement of economic inequality, in particular inequality in life chances, health and happiness, and eventually also to the study of polarization. Finally because the measurement of spatial segregation is a field in itself, this paper only marginally mentions concepts that have been introduced in this no less fascinating domain.

Suggested Citation

  • SILBER Jacques, 2012. "Measuring Segregation: Basic Concepts and Extensions to Other Domains," LISER Working Paper Series 2012-20, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    • Handle: RePEc:irs:cepswp:2012-20
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert Hutchens, 2004. "One Measure of Segregation," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 45(2), pages 555-578, May.
    2. Frankel, David M. & Volij, Oscar, 2011. "Measuring school segregation," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 146(1), pages 1-38, January.
    3. Anthony F. Shorrocks & James E. Foster, 1987. "Transfer Sensitive Inequality Measures," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 54(3), pages 485-497.
    4. James Foster & Michael Wolfson, 2010. "Polarization and the decline of the middle class: Canada and the U.S," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 8(2), pages 247-273, June.
    5. Ricardo Mora & Javier Ruiz-Castillo, 2003. "Additively Decomposable Segregation Indexes. The Case of Gender Segregation by Occupations and Human Capital Levels in Spain," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 1(2), pages 147-179, August.
    6. Hutchens, Robert M., 1991. "Segregation curves, Lorenz curves, and inequality in the distribution of people across occupations," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 31-51, February.
    7. Rothschild, Michael & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 1971. "Increasing risk II: Its economic consequences," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 66-84, March.
    8. Mercedes Sastre & Alain Trannoy, 2002. "Shapley inequality decomposition by factor components: Some methodological issues," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 77(1), pages 51-89, December.
    9. Atkinson, Anthony B., 1970. "On the measurement of inequality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 244-263, September.
    10. Chakravarty, Satya R. & Silber, Jacques, 2007. "A generalized index of employment segregation," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 185-195, March.
    11. Indranil Dutta & James Foster, 2011. "Inequality of Happiness in US: 1972-2008," Economics Discussion Paper Series 1110, Economics, The University of Manchester.
    12. Boisso, Dale & Hayes, Kathy & Hirschberg, Joseph & Silber, Jacques, 1994. "Occupational segregation in the multidimensional case : Decomposition and tests of significance," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 161-171, March.
    13. Anthony Atkinson, 2011. "On lateral thinking," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 9(3), pages 319-328, September.
    14. Karmel, T & Maclachlan, M, 1988. "Occupational Sex Segregation--Increasing or Decreasing?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 64(186), pages 187-195, September.
    15. Hutchens, Robert, 2001. "Numerical measures of segregation: desirable properties and their implications," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 13-29, July.
    16. Donaldson, David & Weymark, John A., 1980. "A single-parameter generalization of the Gini indices of inequality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 67-86, February.
    17. Rothschild, Michael & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 1970. "Increasing risk: I. A definition," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 225-243, September.
    18. Silber, Jacques, 1992. "Occupational Segregation Indices in the Multidimensional Case: A Note," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 68(202), pages 276-277, September.
    19. Blackorby, Charles & Donaldson, David, 1978. "Measures of relative equality and their meaning in terms of social welfare," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 59-80, June.
    20. Deutsch, Joseph & Fluckiger, Yves & Silber, Jacques, 1994. "Measuring occupational segregation : Summary statistics and the impact of classification errors and aggregation," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 133-146, March.
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Measuring Segregation: Basic Concepts and Extensions to Other Domains
      by maximorossi in NEP-LTV blog on 2012-04-26 01:20:12
    2. Measuring Segregation: Basic Concepts and Extensions to Other Domains
      by maximorossi in NEP-LTV blog on 2012-04-26 01:20:12

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    Cited by:

    1. Carlos Gradín, 2020. "Segregation of women into low-paying occupations in the United States," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(17), pages 1905-1920, April.
    2. Francesco Andreoli & Claudio Zoli, 2012. "On the Measurement of Dissimilarity and Related Orders," Working Papers 274, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    3. Carlos Gradín, 2017. "Segregation of women into low-paying occupations in the US," Working Papers 426, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    4. Carlos Gradín, 2017. "Segregation of women into low-paying occupations in the United States," WIDER Working Paper Series 089, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Coral Río & Olga Alonso-Villar, 2018. "Segregation and Social Welfare: A Methodological Proposal with an Application to the U.S," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 257-280, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    health inequality; inequality in hapiness; inequality in life chances; multidimensional segregation; occupational segregation; ordinal segregation; polarization; residential segregation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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