Schelling segregation

1991
united states

Schelling segregation refers to a theory developed by economist Thomas C. Schelling in the 1960s, which explains how even a preference for a small degree of segregation can lead to the formation of highly segregated communities. Schelling's model used a simple mathematical framework to illustrate this phenomenon.

According to Schelling, individuals have a threshold, or a certain level of tolerance, for the proportion of their neighbors that belong to a different social group or community. If the actual proportion exceeds an individual's threshold, they might find it uncomfortable and choose to move to a more homogeneous neighborhood.

In Schelling's model, agents are placed on a grid, where each agent is assigned a fixed threshold. Initially, the agents are scattered randomly. In each time step, an agent may decide to move to a vacant location if the proportion of their neighbors from a different group exceeds their threshold. This process of movement continues until no agent wishes to relocate.

The surprising outcome of Schelling's model is that even slight preferences for homogeneity can lead to the emergence of highly segregated residential patterns. Schelling showed that a relatively mixed distribution of agents in the beginning can quickly evolve into segregated clusters, with each group occupying separate areas.

Schelling's work highlights how individual preferences for similarity can perpetuate and reinforce segregation, even in the absence of explicit discrimination or animosity towards different groups. This theory has been applied to understand residential segregation, racial and ethnic segregation, and other social phenomena.

Further reading

Tarko V.; Gangotena S.J. (2019) "FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND ITS DISCONTENTS: THE CALCULUS OF CONSENT AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT", Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology, 37B(), pp. 197-221. Emerald Group Holdings Ltd.. DOI: 10.1108/S0743-41542019000037B021

Barde S. (2015) "Back to the Future: Economic Self Organisation and Maximum Entropy Prediction", Computational Economics, 45(2), pp. 337-358. Kluwer Academic Publishers. DOI: 10.1007/s10614-014-9422-2

Grauwin S.; Goffette-Nagot F.; Jensen P. (2012) "Dynamic models of residential segregation: An analytical solution", Journal of Public Economics, 96(1-2), pp. 124-141. Elsevier B.V.. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2011.08.011

Marks R.E. (2007) "Validating simulation models: A general framework and four applied examples", Computational Economics, 30(3), pp. 265-290. . DOI: 10.1007/s10614-007-9101-7

Mohammadi N.; Mesgari M.S.; Klein-Paste A. (2023) "AN EMPIRICAL AGENT BASED MODEL FOR RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION, CASE STUDY: TEHRAN", International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences - ISPRS Archives, 48(4/W2-2022), pp. 65-70. International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. DOI: 10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-4-W2-2022-71-2023

Gretha O.B.; Cristal P.M.; Mauhe N. (2018) "Segregation in social networks: A simple schelling like model", Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining, ASONAM 2018, 95-98. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. DOI: 10.1109/ASONAM.2018.8508751

Urrutia-Mosquera J.; López-Ospina H.; Sabatini F.; Rasse A. (2017) "Tolerance to diversity and residential segregation. An adaptation of the Schelling segregation model with three social groups; [Tolerancia a la diversidad y segregación residencial. Una adaptación del modelo de segregación de Schelling con tres grupos sociales]", Eure, 43(130), pp. 5-24. Revista de Geografia Norte Grande. DOI: 10.4067/s0250-71612017000300005

Troitzsch K.G. (2017) "Axiomatic theory and simulation: A philosophy of science perspective on schelling’s segregation model", JASSS, 20(1), pp. -. University of Surrey. DOI: 10.18564/jasss.3372

Chie B.-T.; Chen S.-H. (2015) "The use of knowledge in prediction markets: How much of them need he know?", Journal of Information Science and Engineering, 31(1), pp. 1-22. Institute of Information Science. DOI: [1]

Baldwin W.C.; Boardman J.T.; Sauser B.J. (2013) "Expanding a System of Systems Model with the Schelling Segregation Model", Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 30(1), pp. 65-75. . DOI: 10.1002/sres.2115

Bersini H. (2012) "UML for ABM", JASSS, 15(1), pp. -. . DOI: 10.18564/jasss.1897

Crooks A.; Hudson-Smith A.; Dearden J. (2009) "Agent street: An environment for exploring agent based models in Second Life", JASSS, 12(4), pp. -. . DOI: [2]

Singh A.; Vainchtein D.; Weiss H. (2009) "Schelling's segregation model: Parameters, scaling, and aggregation", Demographic Research, 21(), pp. 341-366. . DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2009.21.12

Ruoff G.; Schneider G. (2006) "Segregation in the classroom: An empirical test of the schelling model", Rationality and Society, 18(1), pp. 95-117. . DOI: 10.1177/1043463106060154

Laurie A.J.; Jaggi N.K. (2003) "Role of 'vision' in neighbourhood racial segregation: A variant of the schelling segregation model", Urban Studies, 40(13), pp. 2687-2704. . DOI: 10.1080/0042098032000146849

Lieberson S.; Dumais S.; Baumann S. (2000) "The instability of androgynous names: The symbolic maintenance of gender boundaries", American Journal of Sociology, 10(5), pp. 1249-1287. University of Chicago Press. DOI: 10.1086/210431

Theobald D.M.; Gross M.D. (1994) "EML: A modeling environment for exploring landscape dynamics", Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 18(3), pp. 193-204. . DOI: 10.1016/0198-9715(94)90024-8

Clark W.A.V. (1991) "Residential preferences and neighborhood racial segregation: A test of the schelling segregation model", Demography, 28(1), pp. 1-19. . DOI: 10.2307/2061333