Suburbanization as a sociocultural and ecological process : a theoretical synthesis and empirical investigation

Abstract

This dissertation proposes a synthesized theory for explaining population suburbanization in the United States. This synthesis contends that population suburbanization is more than simply an economic or an ecological process. Population suburbanization is a residential adaptative process which reflects a population's attempt to attain the goals entailed in the cultural idealization of the suburb and which is constrained by the structural characteristics of suburbs and the characteristics of the population involved in the process. The synthesis thus calls for a new conceptualization of factors traditionally seen as ecological to form an integrated sociocultural and ecological theory of suburbanization. Seventeen hypotheses were tested using the suburbanization experiences of four population groups (total population, whites, blacks, and Spanish-Americans) in 109 suburbs of four major metropolitan areas in Texas (Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio) during the 1970s. Suburbanization scores (indicating the rate of growth of suburbs relative to the central city) were calculated for each of the four racial/ethnic groups in each suburb. Using multiple regression analysis, the hypotheses that population suburbanization would be positively associated with the positive image of suburbs were strongly supported for the total and the white population models. The suburbanization of blacks and Spanish-Americans were less adequately explained, as expected, because of social structural barriers that restrict the suburbanization of racial/ethnic minorities. The addition of indicators of these factors led to substantial improvements in the predictive ability of the black and Spanish models. In general, the synthesized theory of population suburbanization was supported. Its expansion and evaluation in additional cities is strongly recommended.