Freedom from the tyranny of neighbourhood

Rethinking sociospatial context effects

Journal Article (2019)
Authors

A Petrovic (TU Delft - Urban Studies)

D.J. Manley (TU Delft - Urban Studies, University of Bristol)

Maarten van Van Ham (University of St Andrews, TU Delft - Urban Studies)

Research Group
Urban Studies
Copyright
© 2019 A. Petrović, D.J. Manley, M. van Ham
To reference this document use:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132519868767
More Info
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Publication Year
2019
Language
English
Copyright
© 2019 A. Petrović, D.J. Manley, M. van Ham
Research Group
Urban Studies
Issue number
6
Volume number
44 (2020)
Pages (from-to)
1103-1123
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132519868767
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Abstract

Theory behind neighbourhood effects suggests that people’s spatial context potentially affects individual outcomes across multiple scales and geographies. We argue that neighbourhood effects research needs to break away from the ‘tyranny’ of neighbourhood and consider alternative ways to measure the wider sociospatial context of people, placing individuals at the centre of the approach. We review theoretical and empirical approaches to place and space from diverse disciplines, and explore the geographical scopes of neighbourhood effects mechanisms. Ultimately, we suggest how microgeographic data can be used to operationalise sociospatial context, where data pragmatism should be supplanted by a theory-driven data exploration.