Detroit Black/White segregation

[Chad]

I was over at One D and found this statistic "Detroit ranks 2nd among 318 metros in its level of white-black segregation"

Can someone please explain to me what this means? It mentions a dissimilarity index, which I have never heard before. The stat can be found here.

Thanks!

[EastSider]

If you google "dissimilarity index," I'm sure you'll find more than enough links to answer your questions. Maybe do your preliminary research there, and tell us what you've learned?

[Lowell]

This is a Detroit and Detroit [City of and Metropolis] confusion issue. This would refer to the latter - a sadly true fact that lies at the base of our regional ills. Behind it is unbridled urban sprawl, lack of metropolitan union and old-fashion racism.

[texorama]

As long as we're on this subject, I notice that this is based on the 2000 census. I personally have noticed a substantial increase in the integration of quite a few suburbs over the last ten years. Some [[south Warren) are resegregating, but others [[Farmington Hills) are not. Will the 2010 census find us so close to the top of the list? My guess would be that, although we'll still have a way to go, probably not.

[Fury13]

I was over at One D and found this statistic "Detroit ranks 2nd among 318 metros in its level of white-black segregation"

Don't worry, we're trying really hard to be number 1.

[lilpup]

Don't worry, we're trying really hard to be number 1.

Naw, now that even the blacks who can afford to are leaving the city the integration in the metro area will improve.

[Chad]

Ok so here is the explination according to Wikipedia.

"The 'index of dissimilarity' is a demographic measure of the evenness with which two groups are distributed across the component geographic areas that make up a larger area. The index score can also be interpreted as the percentage of one of the two groups included in the calculation that would have to move to different geographic areas in order to produce a completely even distribution. The index of dissimilarity can also be used as a measure of inequality."

It will be interested to see the 2010 results, I am honestly not sure how much better or worse we will be.

[MikeM]

I don't know what OneD has on their website, but if you want more information on this topic, get either "Detroit: Race and Uneven Development" by Darden, et al, or "Detroit Divided" by Farley, et al.