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If the other factors are highly correlated with % of people in a group, then this simple segregation model still makes some sense. Say group A has preferences
by mgraczyk 5y ago
If the other factors are highly correlated with % of people in a group, then this simple segregation model still makes some sense.
Say group A has preferences for unmodeled factors that are strongly correlated with the % of people living in an area who are in group A. Think whole foods nearby, yoga studio, asian fusion restaurant. All the stuff in the SF marina neighborhood. As long as preferences are the same within the group, then these external factors can be represented by the % of people in group A.
This doesn't account for price and income though, which are obviously important.
- civilized 5y agoI just think it's fairly obvious that if people prefer to live in places that would cause them to be segregated, then they will be segregated. Not sure what the model adds to this. Its parameters aren't a helpful guide to the underlying reality.
- mgraczyk 5y agoThis model gives you numbers. It takes you from the very vague: "differences in between-group preferences can cause segregation" to something concrete. "X difference in between group preference for Y will lead to Z-level segregation." And X is surprisingly small for a given Z.
- civilized 5y agoBut there's no way to estimate the particular X in this model in the real world, and the notion that that X is the actual driver is just a bare possibility among others, not really argued for or evidenced. If you made a model where groups have different preferences for "amenities" (nearby relatives, parks, yoga studios) that would at least represent a more plausible hypothesis. Although the parameters would still be impossible to estimate. I get what you're saying though. Broadly speaking it might be theoretically interesting to set up various quantitative models for the XYZ chain.