Residential Context and Racial Solidarity among African Americans

Abstract

Theory: As the structural linchpin of American race relations, residential segregation has important implications for blacks' and whites' thinking about race. Considered here is the impact of residential context-living in predominantly black or racially heterogeneous neighborhoods in the city or the suburbs-on feelings of racial solidarity among black Americans. Hypotheses: The social density hypothesis predicts stronger racial solidarity among blacks who live in the city and in predominantly black neighborhoods. The social salience hypothesis predicts stronger solidarity among suburbanites and residents of racially mixed neighborhoods. The identity supremacy hypothesis predicts no relationship between residence and sense of racial solidarity. Methods: Regression analysis of survey data for a subsample of black urbanites and suburbanites in the Detroit metropolitan area. Results: The statistical results are most consistent with the social density hypothesis. The conclusion centers on the possible implications of black suburbanization and changing levels of racial solidarity among blacks.