Ethnic exposure in activity places: a study using survey and GPS-tracking data
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: With increasing ethnic diversity, the high level of segregation between ethnic groups remains a major social problem in many cities. This study provides detailed insight into activity space segregation by analysing ethnic exposure across all activity places people visit, aiming to detect where ethnic groups are more exposed to each other and where they are more separated. Our study is based on survey and smartphone tracking data collected over a one-month period. Smartphone tracking allows for mapping people’s space–time paths, while the survey data characterize the ethnic context of each activity place. We examined where ethnic groups living in segregated neighbourhoods – both minority-dominant and majority-dominant – meet each other during their daily activities. The experiment was conducted in Tallinn, Estonia, where an Estonian-speaking majority and a Russian-speaking minority reside in two neighbourhoods. The results indicate that the activity spaces of the ethnic groups living in segregated neighbourhoods are also segregated. The minority group is more exposed to members of the majority population in dining places, kindergartens, indoor sporting places, and cultural activity places. Minority group exposure to own-group members is higher in places related to visiting friends and family, children’s schools and hobby places, and places related to personal services.
Institution: University of Tartu
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7129047741