
When is inequality felt as social difference? Charles Tilly argued that it is not simply the extent of inequality that matters but how it is organized. I build on this account by incorporating a view of spatial boundaries as organizing social interactions and directing perceptions of groupness; that is, as helping define the actors and contexts at stake. I argue that the spatial organization of inequality affects how we perceive and experience it. Where parties are unequal and in competition over resources, their segregation may promote categorical inequality, while their integration may inhibit it. I trace these obverse trajectories in the cases of Manila and Singapore. In Manila, social inequality increased despite economic inequality decreasing, whereas in Singapore, social inequality decreased despite economic inequality increasing. I show that spatial organization in the form of segregation and integration, respectively, played a significant role in the sharpening and muting of social boundaries.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 2 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
