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Social Polarization, Inequality and Segregation (Closed)

Editor

MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 75 Amherst St, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
Interests: segregation; social polarization; inequalities; mapping; urban planning; conflicts; geography; sociology; economy

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, it is observed a global tendency towards the concentration of wealth in fewer hands and, consequently, the increase of social inequalities. This is due to many factors related to race, genre, housing community, and/or geographic space -in addition to other factors that must be evaluated-. Consequently, social fragmentation and isolation of certain groups are increasingly tearing them apart.

It is evident in urban areas where people with extreme wealth and social power are interspersed with places of deprivation, exclusion, and economic decline. The concentration of segregated realities explains the emergence of some dynamics associated with the precariousness of the labor force, patterns of violence, intolerance, among others. Some recent studies show how these spatial patterns are being replicated in the digital world. Thus, the interaction patterns, interests, contents, etc. on social networks are completely different for poor and rich people.

This Topical Collection will comprise a selection of papers presenting original and innovative contributions to the study of social polarization, inequalities and segregation by adopting any scientific focus in areas related to natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. It presents a particular interest in those studies that relate their perspectives of sustainability and/or sustainable development, according to the main interest of this journal. Papers selected for this Topical Collection will be subject to a rigorous peer-review process for a fast and wide dissemination of research results, developments, and applications.

Dr. Jose Balsa-Barreiro
Collection Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • spatial segregation
  • income inequalities
  • fragmented societies
  • social polarization
  • collective behavior
  • urban patterns
  • human dynamics
  • policies for reducing inequalities
  • future cities
  • politics

Published Papers (3 papers)

2022

Jump to: 2021, 2019

21 pages, 334 KiB  
Article
Social Sustainability and School Segregation in the Region of Murcia (Spain)
by Fina Antón Hurtado, Fulgencio Sánchez Vera, Javier Eloy Martínez Guirao and Anastasia Tellez Infantes
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1580; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031580 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1679
Abstract
In this article we show an anthropological analysis of the processes of distribution and segregation of students in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia (Spain). This region has experienced an intense migratory flow in the last three decades from Africa, America [...] Read more.
In this article we show an anthropological analysis of the processes of distribution and segregation of students in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia (Spain). This region has experienced an intense migratory flow in the last three decades from Africa, America and Europe. In a short time, the region has become a heterogeneous society, affecting social cohesion. The objective of the research was to analyze the degree and causes of school segregation by sex, socioeconomic reasons and origin of the students. In order to know the degree of segregation, we have carried out a quantitative analysis of the enrollment data from last five years through the databases of the Regional Center for Statistics of the Region of Murcia, and of the Ministry of Education and Professional Training, EDUCAbase. To understand the causes underlying this distribution, an ethnographic fieldwork was carried out visiting nine educational centers (four public, three subsidized and two private) that present a high segregation of students. Members of the management team of the centers, teachers and parents were interviewed, compiling their interpretations about the social reality of the center and the environment, as well as their point of view on education and the inclusion of diversity in the classroom. The information obtained sufficiently clarifies the reality and the causes of the distribution between the public and private network of immigrant students, and even makes visible important differences between the different groups according to their origin. Full article

2021

Jump to: 2022, 2019

16 pages, 559 KiB  
Article
Examining the Relationship between Income Inequality and Growth from the Perspective of EU Member States’ Stage of Development
by Ionuț Jianu, Marin Dinu, Dragoș Huru and Alexandru Bodislav
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5204; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095204 - 06 May 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2816
Abstract
In this paper, we examined the relationship between income inequality and economic growth from the perspective of each country’s level of development in the European Union, this linkage being reviewed using the median of GDP per capita expressed in the purchasing power standard [...] Read more.
In this paper, we examined the relationship between income inequality and economic growth from the perspective of each country’s level of development in the European Union, this linkage being reviewed using the median of GDP per capita expressed in the purchasing power standard to split the European Union Member States into two clusters of 14 countries each. Furthermore, we estimated the impact of income inequality on economic growth during the 2010–2018 period at the level of both clusters using the Estimated Generalized Least Squares with a fixed effects method, reinforced by the cross-section weights option. Our results show that income inequality is positively linked to economic growth in the case of developed EU Member States, while for developing EU countries, income inequality is detrimental to growth. This also demonstrates that income gaps may have positive and negative effects on growth depending on the stage of development, this providing important evidence for the need to promote an optimum level of income inequality. Full article
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2019

Jump to: 2022, 2021

18 pages, 691 KiB  
Article
Ethnolinguistic Diversity and Education. A Successful Pairing
by Mª Ángeles Caraballo and Eva Mª Buitrago
Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6625; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236625 - 23 Nov 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2471
Abstract
The many growing migratory flows render our societies increasingly heterogeneous. From the point of view of social welfare, achieving all the positive effects of diversity appears as a challenge for our societies. Nevertheless, while it is true that ethnolinguistic diversity involves costs and [...] Read more.
The many growing migratory flows render our societies increasingly heterogeneous. From the point of view of social welfare, achieving all the positive effects of diversity appears as a challenge for our societies. Nevertheless, while it is true that ethnolinguistic diversity involves costs and benefits, at a country level it seems that the former are greater than the latter, even more so when income inequality between ethnic groups is taken into account. In this respect, there is a vast literature at a macro level that shows that ethnolinguistic fragmentation induces lower income, which leads to the conclusion that part of the difference in income observed between countries can be attributed to their different levels of fragmentation. This paper presents primary evidence of the role of education in mitigating the adverse effects of ethnolinguistic fractionalization on the level of income. While the results show a negative association between fragmentation and income for all indices of diversity, the attainment of a certain level of education, especially secondary and tertiary, manages to reverse the sign of the marginal effect of ethnolinguistic fractionalization on income level. Since current societies are increasingly diverse, these results could have major economic policy implications. Full article
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