The Subtleties of Social Exclusion: Race, Social Class, and the Exclusion of Blacks in a Racially Mixed Neighborhood

Daniel Monroe Sullivan, Jonathan Picarsic

Department of Sociology, Portland State University, Portland, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/sm.2012.22020                

Abstract

We use interviews, content analysis, and surveys to describe how a neighborhood association in a racially mixed neighborhood in Portland, Oregon (USA) subtly excludes many blacks from being full members of the neighborhood. In contrast to explicit cases of social exclusion, this neighborhood association excludes blacks without ever referring to race. They instead justify their actions—e.g., helping close down a black social club and discouraging more affordable housing—based on such nonracial goals as increasing homeownership, minimizing crime, and maximizing “economic diversity.” We argue that without the inclusion of black residents and their neighborhood organizations (e.g., churches) in the decision-making process, mixed-race neighborhoods will continue to lose their diversity.

Keywords

Social Inclusion; Neighborhoods; Race; Social Class; Gentrification

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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