Measuring inter-neighborhood disparities by tribal origin and academic achievement: Case of Bousaâda, Algeria

Abstract

The phenomenon of inter-neighbourhood disparities is taking on worrying proportions in the city of Boussaâda. The quantitative study of disparities provides us with alarming figures on the social and spatial dimensions. Our research has shown a negative correlation between the indices of residential segregation and school success rates, specifically with a strong residential segregation through the overcrowded peripheral neighbourhoods, and a low level of school facilities. The study of inter-neighbourhood disparities in the city of Boussaâda, affirmed a strong residential segregation with 0.780 as the value of the segregation index and ghettos evaluated at 6 on the scale of Poulssen. The other result at the level of school facilities with indices of zonal aptitude varying between 0.41 and 1.02 on the neighbourhoods of “Maitar and Sidi Slimane” on a scale of 0 to 5. These figures are alarming for local authorities and require a search for social diversity and a re-evaluation of the methods of decision making for the allocation of school facilities based on socio-economic data and a level of facilities comparable to a national average. Its objectives are the result of combining social and spatial indicators in a square matrix by Saaty's AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. It is in this complex urban context that geographic information systems (GIS) can be used as a decision support tool, with a dashboard that displays in real time the situation of the different districts of the city, by means of disparity indices.

Keywords

• boussaâda
• inter-neighbourhood disparities
• school facilities
• zonal suitability index
• ahp method
• spatial and residential segregation
• multicriteria decision