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University of Missouri--Columbia

Distance and disparity: social disadvantage and the distribution of hazardous waste in America

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Since the original studies of environmental discrimination were completed in the early 1980s, many scholars have measured disproportionate proximity to hazardous waste by poor and minority communities. The majority of this research has found evidence to support claims of environmental injustice, yet no research to date has examined the role of residential segregation in producing or proliferating environmental inequities. This research has addressed this limitation by systematically testing racial residential segregation as part of a more rigorous measurement of the theoretical constructs of environmental inequality, and by measuring each of the theoretical constructs in counties where hazardous waste facilities are owned or operated by the federal government. The results of multivariate analyses suggest that proximity to hazardous waste emissions inequitably burdens racial minorities and segregated residents, even when controlling for urbanization and local industry. Evidence of inequalities in counties with federal facilities was inconclusive.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
M.A.
Level thesis:degree_level
Masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Sociology (MU)
Grantor dc:publisher
University of Missouri--Columbia
Year dc:date.issued
2007

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Vlahiotis, Anna
Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
  • Hermsen, Joan M.

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • Access to files is limited to the University of Missouri--Columbia with SSO login.
Language dc:language.iso
eng, English

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/6269

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Missouri
Base URL
mospace.umsystem.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Vlahiotis, Anna. Distance and disparity: social disadvantage and the distribution of hazardous waste in America. Masters thesis, University of Missouri--Columbia, 2007. https://hdl.handle.net/10355/6269