ESRA 2027 sessions by theme

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Session Details

Neighbourhoods are an important context in which people live, interact and develop. At the same time, neighbourhood effects can be conceptualised and operationalised in different ways. Research has examined a wide range of neighbourhood characteristics, including, for example, socioeconomic conditions, social networks, housing, local institutions and services, as well as physical and environmental conditions. Neighbourhood effects have also been studied across different stages of the life course and in relation to a variety of outcomes, such as education and competencies, health, employment, social participation and well-being.

Findings on neighbourhood effects are far from uniform. Studies differ in the characteristics and mechanisms they examine, the data and spatial units they use, and the contexts in which neighbourhoods are studied. Findings may vary across countries, regions, age groups and population groups. This raises questions about which neighbourhood effects can be identified, how and under which conditions they operate, whether they occur consistently across different social, spatial and life-course contexts, and how they can best be measured.

The session invites contributions examining neighbourhood effects from different theoretical, methodological and empirical perspectives. Contributions addressing different types of neighbourhood characteristics and effects, approaches to measuring neighbourhoods, and evidence from different data sources, countries, age groups and outcomes are particularly welcome. The session aims to bring together different perspectives and foster an exchange on the current state of knowledge on neighbourhood effects: what effects exist, how they operate, how they can be measured, and why findings may differ across contexts.