Abstract
An increasing number of studies have observed that ignoring individual exposures to non-residential environments in people’s daily life may result in misleading findings in research on environmental exposure. This issue was recognized as the neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP). This study examines ethnic segregation and exposure through the perspective of NEAP. Focusing on Xining, China, it compares the Hui ethnic minorities and the Han majorities. Using 2010 census data and activity diary data collected in 2013, the study found that NEAP exists when examining ethnic exposure. Respondents who live in highly mixed neighborhoods (with high exposures to the other ethnic group) experience lower activity-space exposures because they tend to conduct their daily activities in ethnically less mixed areas outside their home neighborhoods (which are more segregated). By contrast, respondents who live in highly segregated neighborhoods (with low exposures to the other ethnic group) tend to have higher exposures in their activity locations outside their home neighborhoods (which are less segregated). Therefore, taking into account individuals’ daily activities in non-residential contexts in the assessment of environmental exposure will likely lead to an overall tendency towards the mean exposure. Using Tobit models, we further found that specific types of activity places, especially workplaces and parks, contribute to NEAP. Ignoring individual exposures in people’s activity places will most likely result in misleading findings in the measurement of environmental exposure, including ethnic exposure.
Highlights
Geographic context is a key construct for evaluating individual exposures to environmental and social factors
This emerging line of inquiry assumes that the possibility of inter-group interactions could be enhanced owing to the co-presence of individuals from different social groups at the locations of their daily activities. These studies found that residents living in highly segregated neighborhoods are likely to work or perform other daily activities in relatively less segregated areas [15,16,17]. Such observations suggest that a person’s exposure to individuals of other social or racial/ethnic groups may be considered as a type of mobility-dependent exposure, and the neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP) may exist when studying racial/ethnic segregation
Respondents who live in neighborhoods with high exposures show an overall tendency towards the mean value of the participants when compared with ethnic exposures tend to experience lower levels of exposure in their residence-based ethnic exposures
Summary
Geographic context is a key construct for evaluating individual exposures to environmental and social factors (e.g., fresh food markets, pollution, and different social groups). These studies found that residents living in highly segregated neighborhoods are likely to work or perform other daily activities in relatively less segregated areas [15,16,17] Such observations suggest that a person’s exposure to individuals of other social or racial/ethnic groups may be considered as a type of mobility-dependent exposure, and the NEAP may exist when studying racial/ethnic segregation. After conceiving segregation through the lens of environmental exposure, the study investigates whether the NEAP exists in the analysis of individual exposures to other racial/ethnic groups It seeks to examine whether people living in highly segregated neighborhoods (e.g., with low exposures to other racial/ethnic groups) tend to have higher exposures to other racial/ethnic groups during their daily activities in other areas outside their residential neighborhoods (which are more likely to be less segregated).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
