Isolation Index
The isolation index measures the exposure dimension of segregation: the extent to which members of a minority group are exposed only to one another rather than to members of other groups. It answers the question 'what is the own-group share of the typical neighbor (or classmate, or coworker) that a member of the focal group encounters?' Unlike evenness measures, it depends on the relative size of the group as well as its spatial distribution.
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Sources
- Bell, W. (1954). A probability model for the measurement of ecological segregation. Social Forces, 32(4), 357–364. DOI: 10.2307/2574118 ↗
- 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). Isolation Index of Segregation (Exposure Dimension). ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/sociology/isolation-index
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
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- Theil Segregation IndexSociology↔ compare