Long-Term Neighborhood Effects of Religious Preferences

Combined with neighborhood effects, individuals’ tendencies to seek those who are similar to themselves can reinforce poverty traps for initially disadvantaged populations. In “Long-Term Neighborhood Effects of Religious Preferences,” Economist Chuhang Yin Geissler uses a panel of individuals from Glasgow, Scotland, to estimate a residential sorting model where preferences for neighborhood religious composition vary by income and religious background. Results suggest that the tendency for people to seek out others whose religious preference is similar to theirs is strongest for low-income individuals with Catholic and non-Christian backgrounds and weakest for Protestant Christians and secular individuals. Read more here.