Social Distance
A phrase used to describe the degree of interaction between various social groups
divided by socioeconomic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, or other factors.
It is distinct from physical distance, which represents the actual locational space
between groups. The process ofsegregation, which determines physical distance
between groups, may contribute to greater social distance by reducing the
frequency of contact between groups.In theory, and frequently in practice,
the physical distance separating groups compounds their social distance, due to
friction of distance. Social distance may be measured and analyzed through
several theoretical approaches. One method is to question a defined group about
attitudes and views of other social groups and with the resulting data create a scale
or index of interaction. For example, a social geographer who wishes to gauge the
social distance between blacks and whites in a large urban area might construct a
questionnaire for whites that requires them to rank the level of social interaction
they would find acceptable with blacks. A widely used instrument among sociolo-
gists and social geographers that follows this methodology is the Bogardus Social
Distance Scale. The Bogardus scale assigns a numerical value to differing levels of
social interaction, from marriage to excluding a group from entering the United
States. Social distance measured in this manner is a concept that is a function of
how receptive a group is to interacting with another. The Bogardus scale has been
used in research since the 1920s and over time indicates that social distance in the
United States as a whole is decreasing.
Some social scientists contend that social distance may take other forms besides
that measured on the Bogardus scale. An alternative is to consider social distance
as a social “norm,” meaning that it is established as a part of one’s social and
cultural identity. In this sense, social distance is a part of group cohesion, because
it serves to separate those who “belong” to a group and those who remain external
to the group on the basis of some characteristic, for example, race or ethnicity.
Because group identity is dynamic, social distance conceived in this way can
change over time and either become greater or be reduced. This “normative”
social distance between Caucasian groups in large American cities has diminished
since the 19th century, when the social distance between Italian, Irish, Polish, and
other ethnic groups who had recently arrived viamigrationwas larger and signifi-
cantly restrictive. Social distance can also be perceived as the level of social inter-
action between groups, with the underlying assumption that the greater the
magnitude of interaction, the smaller the social distance between them. Critics of
this approach argue that in many instances, greater levels of interaction do not nec-
essarily result in a reduction of social distance, but point to the persistence of dis-
tinct social and religious groups even under conditions of frequent and open social
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