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Racial differences in dimensions of neighborhood satisfaction

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Abstract

In our research we seek to determine whether black/white differences in neighborhood satisfaction, as reported in the literature, result from racial differences in satisfaction with specific dimensions of neighborhood characteristics. We find that there are racial differences in satisfaction with two dimensions of neighborhood characteristics but not in a third. These racial differences do not, however, translate into a racial difference in overall neighborhood satisfaction because the two dimensions of satisfaction related to race have no effect on overall neighborhood satisfaction while the dimension which is unrelated to race has a strong effect on it. The implications of these findings for urban policy and future research are discussed.

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The authors are thankful for support from the National Institute of Mental Health (Training Grant No. MH 16231) and the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Oklahoma for making our data collection possible.

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John, C.S., Clark, F. Racial differences in dimensions of neighborhood satisfaction. Soc Indic Res 15, 43–60 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300477

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300477

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