Welcome to the Segregation Models module! This section explores computational models of residential segregation, building on Thomas Schelling’s groundbreaking work Schelling (1971) on how individual preferences can lead to collective patterns of segregation.
Overview¶
You’ll learn the basics of agent-based modeling and get hands-on experience with NetLogo.
Segregation models help us understand how micro-level individual choices can lead to macro-level social phenomena Schelling (1978). Through agent-based modeling, we’ll explore how even mild preferences for similarity can result in highly segregated neighborhoods, providing insights into urban dynamics and social processes.
Student Learning Objectives (SLOs)¶
By the end of this module, students will be able to:
- Increase students’ knowledge of social systems and of human behavior within such systems
- Apply algorithmic, statistical, and/or mathematical methods to solve problems, broadly defined to find the answers to questions in various domains (as appropriate).
- Represent, interpret, and process information in graphical, numeric, and/or symbolic forms.
- Explain the difference between individual preferences and collective outcomes
- Analyze how threshold models work in social systems
- Evaluate the relationship between micro-motives and macro-behavior
- Navigate the NetLogo interface and basic programming concepts
- Create simple agent-based models with basic behaviors
- Run simulations and collect data from model outputs
- Interpret basic visualization and data outputs
- Implement Schelling’s segregation model in NetLogo
- Modify agent rules and parameters to test different scenarios
- Collect and analyze data from agent-based simulations
- Assess the implications of segregation models for real-world policy
- Compare model predictions with empirical data on residential patterns
- Critique the assumptions and limitations of segregation models
- Present findings from simulation experiments clearly
- Discuss ethical implications of segregation research
- Connect model insights to contemporary social issues
📚 Slides and Readings¶
Required Readings¶
Core Reading Materials
Schelling, T. C. (1971). Dynamic models of segregation. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 1(2), 143-186.
- 📖 PDF Download
- 🎯 Focus on: The tipping model and neighborhood dynamics
Epstein, J. M. (2002). Modeling civil violence: An agent-based computational approach. PNAS, 99(3), 7243-7250.
- 📖 PDF Download
- 🎯 Focus on: Agent-based modeling methodology
Card, D., Mas, A., & Rothstein, J. (2008). Tipping and the dynamics of segregation. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 123(1), 177-218.
- 📖 PDF Download
- 🎯 Focus on: Empirical evidence of tipping points
📝 Homework¶
🌟 Extra Materials¶
Advanced Readings¶
For the Curious Mind
Historical Context:
- Clark, K. B. (1965). Dark ghetto: Dilemmas of social power. Harper & Row.
- Wilson, W. J. (1987). The truly disadvantaged. University of Chicago Press.
Recent Research:
- Bruch, E. E., & Mare, R. D. (2006). Neighborhood choice and neighborhood change. American Journal of Sociology, 112(3), 667-709.
- Fossett, M. (2006). Ethnic preferences, social distance dynamics, and residential segregation. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 30(3-4), 185-273.
Technical Extensions:
- Hatna, E., & Benenson, I. (2012). The Schelling model of ethnic residential dynamics. Environment and Planning B, 39(4), 773-794.
Real-World Connections¶
Current Events and Applications
Policy Examples:
- Housing voucher programs and their effects
- Zoning laws and residential patterns
- School district boundaries and segregation
Discussion Questions:
- How do digital platforms (social media, dating apps) create new forms of segregation?
- What role do economic factors play beyond individual preferences?
- How can urban planners use these insights in city design?
Guest Speaker Series:
- Dr. Sarah Johnson (Urban Planning, Calvin University) - Week 2
🗓️ Weekly Schedule¶
📞 Getting Help¶
- Schelling, T. C. (1971). Dynamic models of segregation. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 1(2), 143–186.
- Schelling, T. C. (1978). Micromotives and macrobehavior. WW Norton & Company.