‘Crossing the Line’: A Boundary Transgression Model of Resistance to Desegregation

AbstractInformal patterns of spatial division often persist in historically divided societies where segregation has been officially dismantled. In this paper, we present a theoretical model that helps to explain why, focusing on the desegregation-resegregation dynamic. The Boundary Transgression Model (BTM) highlights two interconnected pathways— social psychological and human geographic — that shape intergroup relations under conditions of social change, fostering the re-emergence of intergroup distance, division and contact avoidance. It frames resistance to desegregation as a response to constructions of boundary transgression, ‘ruptures’ to the socio-spatial order. The paper develops this argument by drawing on a 25-year research programme conducted in post-apartheid South Africa and post-accord Northern Ireland. It also proposes an expanded integration strategy, complementing the prejudice reduction model of change adopted in social psychology. This aims to transform not only person-person but also person-place relations. It thus brings social psychologists into closer dialogue with researchers working in companion disciplines such as environmental psychology, geography, and urban sociology and with practitioners in fields such as urban design, public policy, and architecture. Keywords: Segregation, desegregation, contact avoidance, boundaries, prejudice, place identity