Index of Dissimilarity
The index of dissimilarity, often called the Duncan segregation index, measures how unevenly two groups — such as two racial or occupational groups — are distributed across a set of units like neighborhoods, schools, or occupations. It ranges from 0, when both groups have identical distributions across units, to 1, when the units are completely segregated, and has the intuitive interpretation of the share of one group that would have to relocate to achieve an even distribution.
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Sources
- Duncan, O. D., & Duncan, B. (1955). A methodological analysis of segregation indexes. American Sociological Review, 20(2), 210–217. DOI: 10.2307/2088328 ↗
- Massey, D. S., & Denton, N. A. (1988). The dimensions of residential segregation. Social Forces, 67(2), 281–315. DOI: 10.1093/sf/67.2.281 ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 22). Index of Dissimilarity (Duncan Segregation Index). ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/sociology/index-of-dissimilarity
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