Education and Spatial Segregation in Tehran Metropolis

Spatial segregation is both a reflection of the existing social structure and a mechanism to enforce that structure. In Tehran, the dramatic increase in the capacity of universities and educational institutions has led to a significant rise in the number of graduates with a university degree, but it is still unclear to what extent spatial segregation exists based on education levels. Therefore, the aim of this article is to investigate the spatial segregation of the population based on gender and education level in Tehran Metropolitan Area. 2011 census data were analyzed using spatial statistics and analysis by GeoDa and Geo-Segregation Analyzer software. The results show that the degree of spatial segregation of individuals with university education is higher than other educational groups, and the groups with lower education are more integrated and living in the south and south-east regions of the city. The level of spatial segregation of women with higher education is more than men. The results of this study are consistent with the historical north-south socio-spatial patterns. In addition, the results indicate that individuals are in clusters with similar socioeconomic characteristics. Finally, the metropolis of Tehran is experiencing considerable segregation between different social strata.