Theil Segregation Index
Theil's information index, denoted H, is an entropy-based measure of segregation that, unlike the two-group dissimilarity index, handles any number of groups at once. It compares the diversity (entropy) found within each unit to the diversity of the whole population: segregation is high when units are internally homogeneous even though the overall population is diverse. Its defining virtue is exact decomposability across nested levels and across groups.
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Sources
- Theil, H., & Finizza, A. J. (1971). A note on the measurement of racial integration of schools by means of informational concepts. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 1(2), 187–193. DOI: 10.1080/0022250X.1971.9989795 ↗
- Reardon, S. F., & Firebaugh, G. (2002). Measures of multigroup segregation. Sociological Methodology, 32(1), 33–67. DOI: 10.1111/1467-9531.00110 ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 22). Theil's Information (Entropy) Index of Segregation. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/sociology/theil-segregation-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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