A SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO RACIAL RESIDENTIAL PATTERNS

This paper applied the model of Linear System of Action developed by C oleman (1992) to understand racial composition in neighborhoods from a systemic approach. The model had an advantage to consider how an indi vidual household simultaneously maximizes all desirable neighborhood q ualities with limited socioeconomic resources. The model generated rel ative values of socioeconomic resources and neighborhood qualities of each racial group in the exchange process. In addition, the model esti mated a preference hierarchy of neighborhood qualities of each group. Results suggested that blacks and Asians in Canada tend to live in nei ghborhoods with higher proportions of their own groups because blacks may be steered away from predominantly white neighborhoods and Asians experience low returns on their socioeconomic resources in improving s patial contact with whites. (C) 1997 Academic Press.