One body, many identities: a mathematical model of multidimensional segregation dynamics

Individuals inhabit multiple social roles – citizen, neighbor, worker – but make residential decisions with a single body. Classic segregation models assume fixed, singular identities. This paper extends Schelling’s model by introducing agents with multidimensional identities and salience rules that determine which identity guides behavior. Across 1,920 simulations, we show that coordination failures produce persistent dissatisfaction and instability, while attention alignment can reduce or concentrate segregation. These findings challenge the assumption that identity complexity promotes integration. Instead, spatial outcomes depend on how identity salience is cognitively and socially managed. The model contributes to mathematical sociology and formal intersectionality by revealing how behavioral coordination mechanisms shape emergent patterns of segregation.