When desegregation reduces interracial contact: A class size paradox for weak ties

Increasing interracial contact is one of the goals of school desegregation policies. However, focusing upon weak ties as one important type of interracial contact, we show how reallocation of students among schools for desegregation may reduce opportunities for interracial contact. We analyze this apparent paradox and show that it is a member of the mathematical family of phenomena known as class size paradoxes. Then, we consider policy implications for schools and theoretical implications for understanding intergroup relations, and we suggest the need for empirical research to determine the practical value of applying the theory in this complex context.