Social Area Analysis is a scientific method that involves the quantification of the aspect of social geography in order to map the presence of various social groups in the urban area. It is concerned with the way the characteristics of population differ from place to place.
The concept of Social Area Analysis originated from the work of Shevky and Williams in 1949 and was further developed by Shevky and Bell in 1955 for studying urban social life through measurable population characteristics.
Main Dimensions of Social Area Analysis
Social Area Analysis focuses on three dimensions:
- Social status/Social stratification: Family’s position in the social class hierarchy, income, occupation, residence type, education level.
- Urbanization: Changes in household structure due to urban lifestyles.
- Segregation: Concentration of ethnic or cultural groups in specific city areas.
Social Status
This refers to classifying areas based on family integration into society, distinguishing between wealthy and economically burdened neighborhoods. Typical indicators include occupation, education, family income, and employment structure.
It pertains to the socioeconomic standing of people and households and how it is spread across the city. This quantification is usually done by using parameters like income, level of education, profession, employment, type of housing, and access to services. The principle behind it is that individuals with the same economic situation will tend to live in the same places, resulting in certain areas having a high, medium or low status. Those who have a higher status group reside in areas where housing is good, infrastructure, services, and environment are favorable, as opposed to the less well-off people who are more likely to be associated with the less expensive and poorly serviced areas. Consequently, social status makes it possible to understand the principles of residential differentiation and the way urban spaces function, it is one of the three key aspects of Shevky and Williams’ Social Area Analysis.
Urbanization
In SAA, urbanization encompasses both statistical measures and transformations in family and household structures. Indicators may include family size, fertility rates, isolated households, and women’s participation in the economy.
Urbanization is an element in Social Area Analysis that studies the impact of urbanity on social life as well as family structure in different parts of the city. Urbanization is determined by such indicators as family size and composition, fertility level, percentage of working women, type of household, and size of nuclear households and non-families. Urbanized societies present reduced family sizes, increased level of women’s employment, and more individualistic lifestyles, while less urbanized areas are characterized by larger families and more traditional household structures. Urbanization is one of the three dimensions of Shevky and Williams model of Social Area Analysis together with socio-economic status and segregation.
Segregation
This perspective examines the concentration of specific ethnic, religious, or linguistic groups in particular city areas.
Social Segregation Analysis is concerned with the separation of certain social, ethnic, racial, religious, or cultural communities in various parts of the city. According to the Shevky and Williams theory, segregation is actually about the presence of ethnic or racial groups and demonstrates how people of different ethnicities reside in different places. The separation may occur because of differences in income, culture, discrimination, real estate market, migration, or historical events. A region with a considerable number of people belonging to one particular group may form its unique social and cultural traits, thus distinguishing social zones of the city.
Basic Procedure of Social Area Analysis
Steps involved in SAA:
- Collect population data
- Choose indicators
- Normalize data
- Construct index
- Classify area
- Map results
Areas are divided into geographical units like census tracts for classification using statistical data.
Differences with the Ecological Approach
While SAA resembles the Chicago School’s ecological approach, it focuses more on measuring social characteristics than interpreting urban space through ecology.
Importance of Social Area Analysis
SAA helps geographers and urban planners to:
- Define areas by social status
- Identify socio-economic differences
- Analyze segregation phenomena
- Discover new urban poverty areas
- Analyze changes in family lifestyle and structure
- Assist in urban planning
Example of Using Social Area Analysis
Imagine a city with about 100 neighborhoods where a researcher collects basic data as indicators. This approach reveals social differences within geographic contexts, contrasting with statistical analysis.
Readings:
Ten characteristics of an urban civilization
Gordon Childe and Mumford on Origin of Towns
Gordon Childe and Mumford on Origin of Towns
Origin of Towns: Mumford’s Technological Determinism Theory
