Neighborhood Diversity Research Articles

Unpacking Young Adults’ Voting Preferences: The Role of Neighborhood Trust

Compared to previous generations, young adults today report lower levels of trust in government, law enforcement, and their communities. This study investigates neighborhood factors influencing social trust among Arizona young adults during the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. Through an analysis of online survey data for a sample of young adults ( N = 1,376) who participated in the Arizona Youth Identity Project, we explore how neighborhood diversity, population density, racial identity, and political affiliation are associated with social trust and voting preferences. We find that Arizona young adults’ trust in police and their neighbors varies by neighborhood diversity and racial identity, with residents of mostly White neighborhoods reporting higher levels of trust. Additionally, support for Trump is highest among young adults who expressed high trust in local police. This study underscores and begins to unpack the interplay between race, space, and trust in shaping political identities and preferences.

Touristification and retail diversity: theory and evidence

This study explores the impact of touristification on retail diversity in neighbourhoods, presenting a species-area relationship model to demonstrate how tourism-driven changes can negatively affect local residents by displacing unique local retailers. Empirical regression analysis, using differences-in-difference (DID) models and neighbourhood clustering to define retail areas in Hong Kong, found that tourist-concentrated areas have fewer diverse high-street retailers. The result argues that the trend of touristification, which often leads to a decrease in retail diversity, could undermine the resilience of a tourism destination. This is evidenced by the noticeable downturn in the retail industry seen in many previously over-touristed cities after the pandemic. The findings prompt further research into tourism’s role in changing retail landscapes, particularly in touristified neighbourhoods.

Daily Diversity Flows: Racial and Ethnic Context Between Home and Work.

The racial and ethnic diversification of the U.S. population has transformed the demographic makeup of communities and rapidly increased exposure to diversity in American neighborhoods. Although diversity exposure occurs throughout people's daily lives, the conventional approach to describing diversity only at places of residence potentially understates the full extent of this phenomenon. In this study, we explore short-term, within-day changes in the diversity of different neighborhoods by considering U.S. workers' work and residential locations. Using estimates for daytime and nighttime populations among metropolitan census tracts, our empirical analyses investigate the extent to which the process of daytime mobility for work relates to changes in the racial and ethnic diversity of different spaces. Our results indicate widespread daily shifts toward diversity for most neighborhood types, especially those with residential (nighttime) populations that are predominantly Black, Latino, or Asian. We find that patterns of intraday diversification experienced minor declines across recent decades but are present in most metropolitan areas. Our findings also show that intraday changes in racial and ethnic diversity overlap with nonracial forms of daily diversity change. Further, average within-day changes in diversity are more pronounced in areas with greater residential segregation.

Neighbourhood diversity and acculturation profiles of Mexican‐origin adolescents

AbstractMore than 20% of US youth are immigrants or the children of immigrants, and Mexicans represent the largest immigrant group. In an increasingly pluralistic society, research is needed to elucidate how risk and protective/promotive factors in immigrants' life contexts are associated with their acculturation. Within the Integrative Risk and Resilience framework, we examined the mediating role of discrimination in the association between neighbourhood diversity and acculturation strategies of 334 Mexican‐origin youth over a five‐year study (Mage = 12.80; 44.3% female). Neighbourhood diversity was computed using American Community Survey data. Perceived discrimination was self‐reported. Acculturation profiles, including transition profiles, were adopted from a previous study. Findings indicated that Mexican‐origin youth living in more diverse neighbourhoods were more likely to demonstrate an Integrated than a Moderately Assimilated profile. Over time, they were more likely to develop a Stable Integrated or Progressive than a Regressive transition profile. No mediating effect of discrimination was found. These findings imply that diverse neighbourhoods promote integrated acculturation strategies, benefiting both Mexican‐origin youth and the evolving pluralistic US society.

Neighborhood Diversity Is Good for Your Health: An Example of Racial/Ethnic Integration and Preterm Birth in Texas.

Racial concentration of neighborhoods is often associated with the risk of preterm birth (PTB) for women. This study examined differences between racially diverse and racially concentrated neighborhoods when examining preterm birth. Individual-level data were obtained from Texas natality files for 2009-2011, and neighborhood-level (i.e., census tract) data were obtained from the decennial census in 2010 and the American Community Survey 2005-2009. We used multilevel modeling to assess the association between neighborhood racial diversity and odds of PTB, after controlling for individual characteristics, neighborhood poverty, and population density. We found that neighborhood racial diversity and concentration matter for PTB. Results suggest that systemic racism is still key to understanding PTB. Furthermore, findings support policies that prevent displacement from gentrification of diverse neighborhoods and promote equal access to health-related resources for women in predominantly Black, Hispanic, and/or immigrant neighborhoods.

Ethnic Density and Mental Health: Does it Matter Whether the Ethnic Density is Co-ethnic or Multi-ethnic and How Important is Change in Ethnic Density?

The ethnic density thesis suggests a protective health benefit for ethnic minorities living in places with higher concentration of co-ethnic residents. This paper aims to make a step change in the examination of this thesis by proposing ethnic diversity rather than co-ethnic density will be more protective for mental health. The paper proposes ethnic diversity could be a community asset that benefits the health of all people in a neighbourhood regardless of their own ethnic group. Individual data is taken from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, 2009-2019 linked to aggregate data from the 2001 and 2011 Censuses to test the association between co-ethnic density, ethnic diversity and mental health using the General Health Questionnaire 12-item scale. The paper takes a novel approach by measuring pre-existing (in 2001) and change in (2001-2011) co-ethnic density and ethnic diversity. Moderating effects of individual ethnic group, neighbourhood deprivation and perceived social cohesion are tested. Results show lower pre-existing co-ethnic density is related to lower mental health amongst the White British ethnic group but not in most ethnic minority groups. Greater pre-existing ethnic diversity in more deprived neighbourhoods is associated with better mental health regardless of individual ethnic group. A point of contention in the findings is no association between change in ethnic diversity and mental health.

Neighborhood Diversity Promotes Tree Growth in a Secondary Forest: The Interplay of Intraspecific Competition, Interspecific Competition, and Spatial Scale.

Understanding the biodiversity-productivity relationship (BPR) is crucial for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. While it is known that diversity enhances forest productivity, the underlying mechanisms at the local neighborhood level remain poorly understood. We established a 9.6 ha dynamic forest plot to study how neighborhood diversity, intraspecific competition, and interspecific competition influence tree growth across spatial scales using linear mixed-effects models. Our analysis reveals a significant positive correlation between neighborhood species richness (NSR) and relative growth rate (RGR). Notably, intraspecific competition, measured by conspecific neighborhood density and resource competition, negatively impacts RGR at finer scales, indicating intense competition among conspecifics for limited resources. In contrast, interspecific competition, measured by heterospecific density and resource competition, has a negligible impact on RGR. The relative importance of diversity and intra/interspecific competition in influencing tree growth varies with scale. At fine scales, intraspecific competition dominates negatively, while at larger scales, the positive effect of NSR on RGR increases, contributing to a positive BPR. These findings highlight the intricate interplay between local interactions and spatial scale in modulating tree growth, emphasizing the importance of considering biotic interactions and spatial variability in studying BPR.

Effect of competition intensity and neighbor identity on architectural traits of Fagus sylvatica

Key messageDifferences in architectural traits of European beech saplings submitted to different levels of competition intensity and neighborhood diversity show a shift toward lateral growth exploration for overtopped trees but less expressed apical control is maintained for beech grown with conifers.Crown plasticity is a fundamental process to optimize the acquisition of light in forests, where it is often the limiting factor for growth. The processes leading to crown dynamics in response to biotic interaction are controlled by the competitive status of a tree, as well as the species diversity of the neighborhood. Yet, the ontogenic diversity of the different branches leading to crown structure makes it difficult to model crown plasticity. In this study, we used single-image photogrammetry and a semi-automatic topology reconstruction software to map the architecture of 3-year-old European beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.) grown in pure pots or mixed with Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco) or Norway spruce (Piceaabies L. H.Karst). Further, we investigated the effect of competition intensity (estimated with height rank) and neighbourhood diversity on architectural traits. To do so, we quantified the mean volume, slenderness, number of branches, branching rate, internode length, and diameter ratio for each stem and branch, up to the order three. Overtopped trees developed fewer branches and biomass but allocated more biomass to branches of a higher order than to the stem. The increase in the ramification of the stem and the diameter ratio of the first-order branches for overtopped trees indicate a shift in the growth strategy and a decrease in apical control. As competition intensity and neighbour identity have opposite effects on stem traits, it seems that the positive effect of plant diversity on growth can be attributed to the intrinsic effects of species identity rather than to competition release.

Neighborhood Trust, Cohesion, and Diversity: How Demographic Patterns and Processes Shape Their Relationships

AbstractCompelling evidence from around the world suggests that ethnic diversity is detrimental to neighborhood trust and cohesion. Much of this evidence derives from empirical associations found with static indicators of diversity, measuring the mix of ethnic groups at a single point in time, and controlling for a varied mix of individual and community‐level covariates. Less attention though has sought to understand how dynamic processes of migration and residential settlement both create diversity and influence trust and cohesion. In this study, census and survey data are used to analyze the demographic and economic characteristics and dynamics coinciding with diversity in local communities in Australia, and the implications for neighborhood trust and cohesion. Diverse communities are heavily concentrated in moderately and highly disadvantaged communities in large immigrant gateway cities. Highly diverse communities experience continual high levels of immigration and population turnover and contain young age structures and more diverse and transient housing and household structures. Survey analyses reveal that these characteristics substantially explain observed negative associations between diversity and neighborhood trust and cohesion. The results point to the near‐intractable difficulties in isolating the effects of diversity and the importance of understanding the dynamic demographic processes in the construction of neighborhood diversity, trust, and cohesion.

Getting linear time in graphs of bounded neighborhood diversity

AbstractParameterized complexity, introduced to efficiently solve NP‐hard problems for small values of a fixed parameter, has been recently used as a tool to speed up algorithms for tractable problems. Following this line of research, we design algorithms parameterized by neighborhood diversity () for several graph theoretic problems in : Maximum ‐Matching, Triangle Counting and Listing, Girth, Global Minimum Vertex Cut, and Perfect Graphs Recognition. Such problems are known to admit algorithms parameterized by modular‐width () and consequently—as is a special case of —by . However, the proposed novel algorithms allow for improving the computational complexity from time —where and denote, respectively, the number of vertices and edges in the input graph—to time which is only additive in the size of the input. Then we consider some classical NP‐hard problems (Maximum independent set, Maximum clique, and Minimum dominating set) and show that for several classes of hereditary graphs, they admit linear time algorithms for sufficiently small—nonnecessarily constant—values of the neighborhood diversity parameter.

Ecological perspectives on female and male reproductive success with competition in two Serapias species.

The deceptive strategies by which orchids are pollinated and how these are capable of attracting pollinators remain understudied with regard to their implications for plant fitness. Despite their ecological importance, limited investigations have been conducted on sexual deception and shelter mimicry in orchid species, making this a compelling avenue in orchid biology research. To expand the knowledge of these reproductive mechanisms, we studied the pollination of Serapias lingua and S. parviflora in co-occurring and isolated sites in the Balearic Islands (Spain), further accentuated by the presence of a hybrid, indicating shared pollinators. We employed bagging and hand pollination experiments to examine the reproductive biology of the two species. Furthermore, we evaluated the influence of phenotypical and ecological factors on reproductive success, including biometric measurements, reproductive performance and neighbourhood diversity (co-flowering and pollinator communities). Reproductive mechanisms between these two orchid species exhibit substantial disparities. Serapias lingua relies primarily on insect-mediated pollination, while S. parviflora demonstrates self-reproduction capacity. Although events of open pollination are rare, hybridization occurs predominantly when S. lingua is the pollen donor. Fruit set in S. parviflora was positively correlated with plant height, while in S. lingua it was negatively associated with flower size. The coexistence of the two species positively affected pollinium removal in S. parviflora, but did not exert an influence on reproductive traits in S. lingua. Overall, biometric parameters were diminished in isolated compared with co-occurring sites. At the community level, the increased diversity of co-flowering species in the vicinity exhibited an inhibitory effect on pollinium removal in S. parviflora. Under a context of pollinator loss or phenological mismatch between pollinator presence and flowering, the selfing capacity of S. parviflora would guarantee reproduction whereas S. lingua survival would be compromised. Furthers studies are needed to assess the effects of phenotypical and ecological factors on reproductive success of S. lingua in pollinator-decline scenarios.

Persistent racial diversity in neighbourhoods across the United States: Where does it occur?

AbstractWhile there is a long history of racial change in the United States, and how this plays out within neighbourhoods, a key recurring question is whether some neighbourhoods are able to achieve and maintain racial diversity, or whether they simply transition to dominance by a new racial group. We test and find evidence of 1631 neighbourhoods across the United States from 1980 to 2020 that exhibit persistent racial diversity (PRD), and assess where this PRD occurs. Our analysis shows that PRD neighbourhoods (PRDNs) are likely to be present in counties with more economic opportunities–that is, counties with higher socioeconomic status (SES). PRDNs themselves, however, tend to be relatively lower SES neighbourhoods within relatively higher SES counties, suggesting that affordable locations surrounded by more economic opportunities may have served as an environment in which diversity can persist over a long period of time in the United States.

Children’s evaluations of culturally diverse lunchbox foods

Previous research indicates that children make ingroup–outgroup judgments based on notions of food conventionality and that ethnic minority children have been teased or bullied for bringing non-conventional foods to school. This series of three studies experimentally investigated U.S. school-age children’s evaluations of culturally diverse lunchbox foods. Study 1 examined an online sample of children aged 5 to 12 years and their evaluations of foods from four cultures (mainstream American, Chinese, Indian, and Mexican) on the taste, smell, and messiness of the food, the appropriateness of bringing the food to school, and whether “cool kids” eat the food. Compared with the mainstream American lunchbox, children rated the Chinese, Indian, and Mexican lunchboxes as less tasty, more messy, and less likely that cool kids would bring those foods to school. In Studies 2 and 3, we examined children’s behavioral choices in a hypothetical cafeteria. In both studies, we found that the match between children’s own lunch preferences and what was displayed in the mainstream American lunchbox was the only predictor of children’s choice to sit at the table with the American lunchbox. Individual variables (e.g., child age, food pickiness) and contextual variables (e.g., neighborhood diversity) did not predict children’s table choices. This research highlights children’s understanding of familiarity and conventionality of foods and the social consequences of their behavioral choices.

Parameterized complexity for iterated type partitions and modular-width

This paper deals with the complexity of some natural graph problems parameterized by some measures that are restrictions of clique-width, such as modular-width and neighborhood diversity. We introduce a novel parameter, called iterated type partition number, that can be computed in linear time and nicely places between modular-width and neighborhood diversity. We prove that the Equitable Coloring problem is W[1]-hard when parameterized by the iterated type partition number. This result extends to modular-width, answering an open question on the complexity of Equitable Coloring when parameterized by modular-width. On the contrary, we show that the Equitable Coloring problem is FPT when parameterized by neighborhood diversity.Furthermore, we present a scheme for devising FPT algorithms parameterized by iterated type partition number, which enables us to find optimal solutions for several graph problems. As an example, in this paper, we present algorithms parameterized by the iterated type partition number of the input graph for some generalized versions of the Maximum Clique, Minimum Graph Coloring, (Total) Minimum Dominating Set, Minimum Vertex Cover and Maximum Independent Set problems. Each algorithm outputs not only the optimal value but also the optimal solution. We stress that while the considered problems are already known to be FPT with respect to modular-width, the novel algorithms are both simpler and more efficient. We finally show that the proposed scheme can be used to devise polynomial kernels, with respect to iterated type partition number, for the decisional version of most of the problems mentioned above.

Tree mycorrhizal type mediates the responses of foliar stoichiometry and tree growth to functionally dissimilar neighbours in a subtropical forest experiment

Abstract Plant nutrient stoichiometry is of critical importance to productivity and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. The impacts of tree species diversity on productivity have been well studied at the stand level. However, it is unclear how neighbourhood interactions impact the foliar nutrient stoichiometry of trees at the neighbourhood scale and how plant mycorrhizal associations can mediate such effects. We randomly selected eight tree species from a large‐scale biodiversity experiment with mixtures up to 32 tree species in subtropical China to assess the effects of species richness, phylogenetic and trait dissimilarities and competition on the foliar nutrient stoichiometry of focal trees associated with either arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) or ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. We further investigated whether neighbourhood diversity can alter focal tree growth by regulating C:N:P stoichiometry. Neighbourhood species richness had no significant impact on the foliar C:N, N:P or C:P for both AM and EM trees. Increased neighbourhood phylogenetic dissimilarity significantly decreased the foliar N:P and C:P of AM trees but did not affect those of EM tree species. Foliar C:N, N:P and C:P of AM trees decreased with increasing neighbour trait (specific leaf area, root diameter, wood density dissimilarity, total trait) dissimilarities, while those of EM trees increased or remained unchanged. The increase of the neighbourhood competition index resulted in an increase in the foliar C:N of AM tree species but not EM tree species. The structural equation model analysis revealed that the increase of neighbourhood phylogenetic dissimilarity and functional trait dissimilarity indirectly enhanced tree growth of AM trees by decreasing foliar C:N. Conversely, the increase of neighbourhood‐specific root length and wood density dissimilarity indirectly reduced the growth of EM trees by increasing foliar N:P. Synthesis. Our results indicate that neighbourhood trait dissimilarity regulated tree foliar stoichiometry and growth performance, but the effects depended on the mycorrhizal type of trees. Our findings highlight the importance of tree mycorrhizal associations for better understanding the relationship between plant diversity and ecosystem functions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Probing the impact of exposure to diversity on infants' social categorization.

Humans learn about the world through inductive reasoning, generalizing information about an individual to others in the category. Indeed, by infancy, monolingual children expect people who speak the same language (but not people who speak different languages) to be similar in their food preferences (Liberman et al., 2016). Here, we ask whether infants who are exposed to linguistic diversity are more willing to generalize information even across language-group lines. To test this, we ran an inductive inference task and collected data on exposure to linguistic diversity at the interpersonal and neighborhood levels. Infants with more linguistically diverse social networks were more likely to generalize a food preference across speakers of different languages. However, this relationship was not seen for neighborhood diversity. We discuss implications of this work on understanding the development of bias and its malleability based on early social experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Changes in Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Neighborhoods in Large Urban Areas in the U.S., 1980-2020

Changes in Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Neighborhoods in Large Urban Areas in the U.S., 1980-2020

Stable Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Neighborhoods in Large Urban Areas in the U.S., 1990-2020

Stable Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Neighborhoods in Large Urban Areas in the U.S., 1990-2020

Positive interactions in shaping neighborhood diversity during secondary forests recovery: Revisiting the classical paradigm

Secondary forests recovery, following disturbances, plays a pivotal role in ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity recovery. Given the rising frequency and intensity of anthropogenic disturbances within forest ecosystems, understanding the mechanisms underlying secondary succession is vital for the effective restoration and conservation of compromised ecosystems. In the classical secondary succession paradigm, early-arriving species are gradually replaced by their later-arriving counterparts. However, over time, valuable historical insights into the involvement of pioneer species become obscured and challenging to discern, particularly in community-scale studies. Consequently, this obscurity has predominantly directed contemporary research predominantly towards examining the consequences of species replacement by later-arriving counterparts during secondary succession. Concurrently, the mechanisms by which pioneer species facilitate or impede the establishment of diversity among later-arriving species remain insufficiently clarified. In this study, we established a 6-ha dynamic forest plot within a secondary forest that has undergone nearly four decades of restoration. Specifically, we utilized the individual species-area relationship (ISAR) framework to evaluate the neighborhood diversity structure of 49 evergreen and 20 deciduous species identified within our evergreen broad-leaved forest plot. Our findings indicate that deciduous tree species undergo a transition from diversity accumulator to repeller in diversity structuring as they progress through different life history stages. On the other hand, evergreen trees either engage in diversity accumulator or neutral. Through repeated plot surveys, we established a comprehensive dataset encompassing the mortality and regeneration of evergreen and deciduous tree species from 2014 to 2020. Spatial covariance models were employed to quantify the distinct effects of density dependence on deciduous and evergreen tree species. The results demonstrate significant negative density dependence mortality and self-thinning in deciduous species at all life history stages. Conversely, adult evergreen tree species facilitate the survival of their seedlings and saplings. In contrast to the classical paradigm that primarily focuses on the replacement of pioneer species by successor species, our findings reveal: (i) self-inhibition mechanisms that shape the neighborhood diversity spatial patterns among deciduous tree species, (ii) self-promotion or neutral mechanisms that influence the diversity spatial patterns of evergreen tree species, and (iii) early-arriving tree species that play a role in facilitating the establishment and diversity of late-arriving counterparts. These results not only signify the significant role of late-arriving species in the natural recovery of secondary forests but also propose that integrating the mechanisms of facilitation, inhibition, and neutral interactions into the classic forest succession paradigm could reshape our interpretation of interactions within plant communities across historical, current, and future timeframes. Such comprehension holds implications for forest management policies and conservation practices.

Does racial diversity affect White children's racial bias and reasoning? Depends on where they live and how their social world is structured.

By 4 years of age, White children from across the United States begin to exhibit an awareness of racial inequalities, along with in-group preferences for other White children. The present study explored how the size and racial diversity of White children's social network (e.g., friends, family, and classmates) and neighborhood (zip code) are related to variation in their explanations for racial disparities and anti-Black bias among a sample of 395 White children (ages = 4-11 years old; Mage = 6.6 years) from 263 unique zip codes across the United States. White children in neighborhoods with low diversity were more likely to endorse an extrinsic explanation for racial inequality as their network diversity increased, whereas network diversity did not relate to children's choices for those who lived in neighborhoods with high diversity. These findings held even after controlling for parents' beliefs about diversity, which were themselves positively correlated with children's network and neighborhood diversity. An exploratory analysis revealed that for White children in small networks only, as the number of children of color in their network increased, they were more likely to choose to play with a Black child. Results demonstrate how the diversity of children's social networks and neighborhoods relates to children's developing racial beliefs in contextually dependent ways. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).