When do neighborhoods matter? The role of race and neighborhood peers

This study explores racial differences in the effect of neighborhood income on children’s test scores, self-esteem, and behavior, using data from both the Census and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement. This study finds that as neighborhood income increases, test scores a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science research 2003-03, Vol.32 (1), p.61-79
Main Author: Lopez Turley, Ruth N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Behavior
Black White Differences
Case studies
Children
Income
Mechanisms
Neighborhood income
Neighborhoods
Neighbourhoods
Peer Relations
Peers
Race
Racial Differences
Self Esteem
Social impact
Social sciences
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study explores racial differences in the effect of neighborhood income on children’s test scores, self-esteem, and behavior, using data from both the Census and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement. This study finds that as neighborhood income increases, test scores and behavior improve significantly for white children but not for black children. Increased neighborhood income affects only black children when there is a high-proportion of blacks in the neighborhood. For white children, an increase in the number of neighborhood peers known by name increases the effects of neighbors’ income. In addition, neighborhood effects are strongest for children who have lived in their neighborhoods for three or more years. This study makes progress toward explaining the mechanisms by which neighborhoods affect children and how these mechanisms differ by race.
ISSN:0049-089X
1096-0317
DOI:10.1016/S0049-089X(02)00013-3