Future Directions for Research on Residential Segregation and Inequality in China

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter summarises some of the key findings and themes of the book and considers their implications for future research on inequality and segregation in China. I highlight four priority areas. First, there is a need for more research on the dynamics of residential segregation. I argue that the real story of segregation is revealed in the factors and processes that drive long-term change. Second, I emphasise the need for more research on the spatial foundations of inequality—how inequality leads to the geographical separation of rich and poor and how this segregation mediates and reinforces almost every aspect of inequality. Third, I consider the relational and psychological impacts of inequality and the imperative for them to be included in the calculus of policy planning. Fourth, I consider the implications of the Causal Revolution in research methods and argue that they potentially offer the prospect of achieving a scientific approach to policy development and evaluation. I conclude with some reflections on the implications of our findings for future policy directions in China.