Brigitte S. Waldorf

Europe's Population in the 1990s

This study presents a contemporary picture of Europes population, detailing birth rates, immigration, mortality, family formation and dissolution. Illustrated with numerous tables and graphs, it considers some of the causes of observed trends, such as economic pressures, the spread of new values, and the importance of family policies in creating an ageing Europe threatened by population decline.

Segregation in Urban Space: A New Measurement Approach

A variety of segregation measures have been proposed in the literature with the dissimilarity index and its variants being the most widely applied. While these measures provide a quick means of comparing segregation patterns across space and time, they are not linked to the processes that generate and maintain segregative patterns. This paper proposes a new method for measuring segregation. The method is based on comparative evaluations of neighbourhood characteristics as a determinant of spatial behaviour in cities. The proposed approach moves away from a purely geometric interpretation of segregation by anchoring the measurement of segregation into the actual urban setting. The methods main advantages are its responsiveness to changes in urban characteristics (e.g. spatial variations in rent increases), and changes in preference structures (e.g. a declining importance of distance as an impediment to relocation). A numerical example is used to demonstrate the behaviour of the proposed method against traditional segregation measures. The results indicate that the segregation experiences of minorities may be more severe than previously thought.

The Internal Dynamic of International Migration Systems

In this paper I provide a conceptualization of international migration networks, which can be used to identify and integrate the internal components of migration systems, and formalize the relationships in an analytic model of the internal network dynamic. With the use of the operationalized model, and microlevel and macrolevel data for guestworkers in Germany during the period 1970 to 1989, we can empirically test the relative influence of internal network variables versus external forces on the attraction of immigrants over time. The empirical results suggest that—as the system matures—network variables have an increasing impact on the attraction of immigrants, while the impact of economic factors declines. The research is concluded with a series of simulations that further highlight the internal dynamic of international migration systems.

A Spatial Economic Perspective on Language Acquisition: Segregation, Networking, and Assimilation of Immigrants

Immigration and multiculturalism are at the heart of modern Western societies. The issue of language acquisition of immigrants is intrinsically linked to immigration. We formally link language acquisition of immigrants to the relative size of the immigrant stock, employing a microeconomic trading framework. Our model allows for spatial interaction going beyond the immigrants area of residence, and explicitly incorporates spatial segregation. In addition, behavioral differences of immigrants with respect to their level of assimilation into the host country, as well as differences in networking within their own ethnic community, are accounted for. We test our model for four non-Western immigrant groups in the Netherlands at two different spatial scale levels. The empirical results reveal that there is only ambiguous support for the inverse relationship between size of the immigrant community and language acquisition or language proficiency in The Netherlands. We find instead that there is strong support for language acquisition and understanding being positively influenced by assimilation to the host countrys culture.

Spatial Dimensions of the Easterlin Hypothesis: Fertility Variations in Italy

The paper re-evaluates the Easterlin hypothesis in a multiregional context by conceptually and methodologically accounting for two processes of spatial interdependence in an open subnational demo-economic system: diffusion of fertility norms and values across space, and movements between labor markets. The empirical analysis estimates pooled cross-sectional, time-series models using data for 18 Italian regions from 1952 to 1995. The results suggest that accounting for spatial interdependencies is necessary to avoid model misspecifications. Moreover, the models lead to space-time landscapes of fertility elasticities that suggest, for the majority of space-time units, an inverse Easterlin effect for the diffusion component but support of the Easterlin hypothesis due to labor movements across space. Copyright 2002 Blackwell Publishers Inc.

Segregation and Residential Mobility of Vietnamese Immigrants in Brisbane, Australia

The study focuses on residential mobility propensities of Vietnamese immigrants in the city of Brisbane, Australia, as a principal force contributing to the persistence or change of ethnic residential segregation over time. Using 1990 survey data, discrete-time logit models are estimated to assess the effects of locational, contextual, and personal characteristics on the likelihood of changing residence within the city. The results indicate that locational variables operate in such a way that the most dominant Vietnamese neighborhood in Brisbane increases its prominence even further, while secondary Vietnamese clusters are likely to weaken. The results also indicate that initial settlement conditions are important for the first move only, whereas personal attributes contribute to variations in mobility propensities primarily in the second move. This implies that the composition of the immigrant population potentially influences the speed at which changes in ethnic residential patterns will occur in urban ...

ATTRACTING GLOBAL TALENT AND THEN WHAT? OVEREDUCATED IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES†

This research assesses the prevalence and determinants of job–education mismatches among male immigrants in the United States between 1980 and 2009. The results suggest that educational attainment levels do not match occupational education requirements for almost half of all immigrants. Overeducation among high‐skilled immigrants vastly exceeds that of comparable natives. Probit models of overeducation suggest that: (i) personal characteristics operate in similar fashion for immigrants and natives; (ii) immigrant brain waste is above average in gateway states, metropolitan areas and in prosperous high‐wage areas; and (iii) proficiency in English and length of residence reduce the overeducation risk among high‐skilled immigrants.

Localized effects of globalization: the case of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico

This paper explores how the rise of global industrialization has altered the internal complexion of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, the largest and fastest growing of Mexicos northern border cities. First, we trace the political-economic history of Ciudad Juárez and other northern Mexican border cities in order to understand the context of rapid industrialization. Second, we document the dimensions of industrialization by tracing historic trends in population growth, industrial employment, and land-use change. Third, a deprivation index is developed to evaluate the effects of industrialization on quality-of-life at the neighborhood scale in Ciudad Juárez. Deprivation indices are calculated for 266 AGEBs (Mexican geostatistical districts) for the years 1990 and 1995, and changes in levels of deprivation are monitored over time. The analyses show that Ciudad Juárez has experienced unprecedented growth that altered the form, function, and social complexion of the city.

The Day after the Disaster: Forced Migration and Income Loss after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

A model of post‐disaster migration responses and income consequences poses that damage severity and individual resilience affect moving decisions. Forced moves are linked to little resilience relative to damage incurred and post‐move income reductions. The empirical analysis analyzes households affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Using American Community Survey data, unobserved heterogeneous income damages are framed as treatment, with the moving decision being the treatment decision. An endogenous switching regression addresses self‐selection issues. The results suggest that movers encountered double victimization: (1) they were forced to move and their income declined; (2) low‐income households were more severely affected than the average.

Housing Policy Impacts on Ethnic Segregation Patterns: Evidence from Dusseldorf, West Germany

Ethnic residential segregation has been of long-standing concern in cities throughout the world. Policy-makers are faced with decisions that potentially have a profound impact on these segregative patterns. This study illustrates the applicability of a recently developed analytical model of ethnic segregation and relocation in urban housing markets to housing policy evaluations. Using 1981 data for the city of Diisseldorf, West Germany, the effects of two housing policies are analysed: the first hypothesises an increase in housing supply, and the second simulates the effects of an urban renewal project. The results suggest that the accounting model is well suited to this type of analysis, and, as such, offers invaluable insights into spatial and compositional demographic shifts in response to housing policies.