Final answer:
Segregation is the physical and social separation of groups, with de jure segregation legally mandated and de facto segregation resulting from social factors. The harmful effects have been established by research and were integral in civil rights legal cases, such as Brown v. Board of Education. Segregation continues through systemic social patterns reflected in areas such as housing and education.
Step-by-step explanation:
Segregation refers to the physical separation of groups based on characteristics such as race. In the United States, the damaging effects of segregation, particularly mandated by law as de jure segregation, are notable in the historical legal framework that supported it, such as the Jim Crow laws and the Plessy v. Ferguson case which propagated the concept of 'separate but equal.' However, the Brown v. Board of Education case highlighted the inherent inequality of segregation practices, and this was one of the significant steps leading to the end of legal segregation with the Civil Rights Act.
Additionally, segregation is not only a product of legal mandates (de jure), but can also exist as a result of societal actions and attitudes, known as de facto segregation. This type of segregation continues to manifest in various forms, such as racial and ethnic divisions within neighborhoods or schools. Although laws have changed, these social patterns still reflect segregationist tendencies that persist independently of legal structures.
Notably, sociologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark provided sociological research to demonstrate that segregation was harmful to societal development and individual well-being. Their work was instrumental in legal arguments during the Civil Rights Movement, including influencing the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. Segregation is neither a retrograde nor peripatetic attitude; it is a systemic issue with profound social consequences.