Exploring Integration and Disintegration Mechanisms of Social Mixing Using Agent-Based Model

Abstract

Social mix is creating socio-economically mixed community to avoid the problems from poverty concentration, and to enhance social interaction among various groups. However, research on the effects of social mix policies is divided, and much research casts doubts on the effectiveness of social mix policies. This strongly implies that we need more knowledge about the unexpected mechanism from social mix policies. This research tries to explore how the social integration and disintegration mechanisms emerge from social mix. By adopting agent-based modeling and simulating diverged scenarios, this research shows how these mechanisms are distinguished by different conditions, and influence unemployment rates. These results help us build empirical evidence that shows how each factors work in these mechanisms, which contributes to create social mix policy, based on more sophisticated and effective policy tools.