WHEN DOES “RACE” MATTER? EXPLORING VARIATION IN ATTITUDES TOWARD CONTROVERSIAL FACILITIES

Abstract

Community opposition has been on the rise across the United States, particularly over the past decade. This research note explores the issue of “racial” variation in attitudes toward facilities and land uses by presenting an analysis of a national survey of perception concerning human service and other facilities. The results indicate that, for this national sample, respondents self-identifying themselves as “black” tend to be more accepting of facilities overall than respondents self-identifying as “white” and that after controlling for social class, life cycle, and residential location, there are only three facility types where “white” and “black” respondents differ in their attitudes: day care centers, alcohol rehabilitation facilities, and shopping malls.