Prejudice as a determinant of the residential preferences of whites and Blacks.

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that intra- and interracial differences in residential preferences are associated with continued residential segregation. However, to date, there has been comparatively little research to ascertain the factors which influence the development of such preferences. This study investigates two causal theories that have been proposed to explain the development of preferences, addressing the general question of whether a causal relationship exists between prejudice and the residential preferences of Detroit area whites and blacks. First, an argument is posited that whites' liberal attitudes about living in integrated neighborhoods may be negatively affected by stereotype use. Here, it is also argued that blacks' experiences and perceptions of discrimination induce their aversion to integrating all-white neighborhoods. The results of the two estimated models--the first for whites and the second for blacks--provide convincing evidence that stereotype use mitigates the liberal residential preferences of whites and that blacks' perceptions of discrimination by white homeowners and their anticipation of encountering racial hostility are causally related to their reluctance to pioneer integration. Other substantive findings about the indirect effects of stereotype use and discrimination on the preferences of whites and blacks, respectively, the interrelationships among the findings from the two models, and general methodological and policy issues are also discussed.