Overview of the “Difference of Means” Framework

Abstract

The previous chapter notes that popular indices of uneven distribution can be expressed in a variety of mathematically equivalent ways. The discussion there (and in Appendices) reviews a variety of formulas presented previously in the literature. It also introduces a set of new formulas that cast indices of uneven distribution as group differences of means on individual residential outcomes. I argue that the group difference of means formulation is an important new approach that brings many advantages and possibilities to segregation measurement and analysis. To make the case for this view I now provide a more detailed discussion comparing standard computing formulas with the difference of means formulas.