Perception of Insecurity in French Poor Neighbourhoods Racial Proxy or Pure Discrimination Hypotheses?

• Published in: Urban studies (Edinburgh, Scotland) Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 505 - 525
• Main Author: Shon, Jean-Louis Pan Ké
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England Sage Publications, Ltd 01.02.2012; SAGE Publications; Longman Group; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Bgi / Prodig; Deprivation; Discrimination; Ethnic Groups - education; Ethnic Groups - ethnology; Ethnic Groups - history; Ethnic Groups - legislation & jurisprudence; Ethnic Groups - psychology; Ethnicity; Foreigners; France; France - ethnology; History of medicine; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Housing; Human geography; Humans; Immigrants; Local government; Low income groups; Methodology; Minorities; Minority Groups; Neighborhoods; Neighbourhoods; Perceptions; Poor; Population; Population geography and social geography; Poverty; Poverty Areas; Prejudice; Proxy reporting; Proxy statements; Public Assistance - economics; Public Assistance - history; Public Assistance - legislation & jurisprudence; Public policy; Public Policy - economics; Public Policy - history; Public Policy - legislation & jurisprudence; Racism; Residence Characteristics - history; Social Class - history; Social disadvantage; Social geography; Social perception; Social Problems - economics; Social Problems - ethnology; Social Problems - history; Social Problems - legislation & jurisprudence; Social Problems - psychology; Socioeconomic Factors - history; Socioeconomics; Unemployment; Unemployment - history; Unemployment - psychology; Unemployment Rates; Urban policy; France; Tolerance threshold; Social policy; Ethnic minority; Poverty; Social discrimination; Danger; Neighbourhood; Perception; Urban area; Unemployment; Social geography
• ISSN: 0042-0980; 1360-063X
• DOI: 10.1177/0042098011402237

Many poor neighbourhoods, home to both socially disadvantaged populations and to foreigners, are characterised by a strong perception of insecurity. The purpose of this article is determine the origin of this perception. To do so, two possible causes are dissociated: racial prejudice and racial proxy (the ethnic minorities are perceived in terms of the negative social characteristics that are often associated with them). More specifically, it is shown that the 'ethnic' variable captures the effects of an overconcentration of poverty, approximated here by the concentration of unemployment, but that these two variables act separately. This result should be taken into account in the policies implemented by public authorities and local actors. In this study, an original methodology is applied based simultaneously on individual geocoded data, the proportion of foreigners, the unemployment rate at the neighbourhood level and an indirect indicator of perceived insecurity.