Ethnic Concentration in the Neighbourhood and Ethnic Minorities’ Social Integration

Abstract

Although ethnic concentration in the neighbourhood is often thought to constrain ethnic minorities’ social ties with majority group members, the results of empirical studies are mixed. However, previous studies have differed in the type of social ties examined—for example, neighbours, friends, marital partners—whereas it is questionable whether ethnic residential concentration constrains weak and strong social ties to the same extent. This study analysed survey data from the Netherlands and found that the greater the ethnic concentration in the neighbourhood, the less often ethnic minorities have social ties with the native Dutch. Ethnic residential concentration is also found to constrain the strength of those social ties in terms of support, advice and frequency of contact. Ethnic residential concentration thus not only constrains the probability of having a social tie with natives in general, but of strong social ties in particular.