Attitudinal and Behavioral Effects of Initial Integration of White Suburban Neighborhoods

Abstract

Interviews were conducted in 18 white suburban neighborhoods into which a new family had recently moved — in 8 neighborhoods a new black family, in the other 10 a white. Prior interviews in some neighborhoods indicated a high degree of comparability between residents of the two sets of neighborhoods. Interviews conducted one month, three months, and one year after the families had moved in assessed a variety of attitudinal and behavioral indicators of residents' reactions to new neighbors. Results not only showed marked differences in how black and white families are received by white residents but also revealed patterns of change over time which reflect the processes inherent in the integration experience.