Decoding Segregation: Navigating a century of segregation research across disciplines and introducing a bottom-up ontology

• Main Authors: Netto, Vini, Krenz, Kimon, Fiszon, Maria, Peres, Otávio, Rosalino, Desirée
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 10-10-2024
• Subjects: Computer Science - Social and Information Networks
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2410.08374

Segregation is a widely recognised phenomenon with profound implications for
societies worldwide. From political science and gender studies to anthropology
and urban studies, it has garnered considerable attention across numerous
scientific fields due to its multifaceted nature. However, what makes
segregation such a far-reaching phenomenon? In fact, how many forms of
segregation exist? Have different disciplines engaged in segregation research
uncovered all its facets? This article systematically explores the landscape of
segregation research spanning over a century. We analyzed 10,754 documents from
the Scopus database to unveil the dynamics of the discovery of segregation
forms through several findings. We identify (1) the exponential growth and
increasing diversification of segregation forms, driven by combinatorial and
exploratory work and increasing transdisciplinarity and intersectionality in
research; (2) the evolution and structure of the field in hierarchies and
clusters of segregation forms, revealing trends, persistence, and shifts over
time; (3) the timing and geographical distribution of first publications on
segregation forms, along with contextual variations across world regions and
countries; (4) path dependencies in the historical and geographical shaping of
segregation research; and (5) the structure of knowledge production. Aiming to
contribute semantic organization to an increasingly complex field, we explore
these findings to introduce a bottom-up ontology of segregation, marking the
first comprehensive effort of its kind.