Measuring segregation at the micro level: an application of the M measure to multi-ethnic residential neighbourhoods in Amsterdam

A wide variety of segregation measures are used in scientific research. However, the usual measures are not suitable for use at micro-geographical scale level, for example, to evaluate the magnitude of spatial attraction or separation between pairs of ethnic groups within multi-ethnic residential neighbourhoods in Amsterdam. In this paper we examine the social importance of possessing such knowledge for these areas, we discuss the deficiencies of the usual segregation measures as regards this level of analysis, and we draw attention to a recently developed spatial segregation measure, the so-called M measure, which does happen to be suitable for this goal. We apply the M measure to some of these residential neighbourhoods which existed in Amsterdam on 1 January 2003. The conclusion is that although neighbourhoods can have a very similar ethnic mix, the spatial attraction or avoidance between certain pairs of groups may be quite different between these neighbourhoods.