Digital Commons Network^™

Low-Income Families In New Hampshire, Allison Churilla

Carsey School of Public Policy

New Hampshire boasts the nation's lowest percentage of people living in poverty and maintains strong rankings in other quality-of-life measures. But 48,000 New Hampshire families with low incomes struggle to make ends meet, this issue brief finds. The brief identifies characteristics that heighten families' risk of a lower income and documents recent trends in the economic status of low-income families in the state.

New Immigrant Settlements In Rural America: Problems, Prospects, And Policies, Leif Jensen

Carsey School of Public Policy

Regions of rural America are being reshaped by growing numbers of immigrants who are choosing small-town life over the bright lights of the big city. This study found that immigrant settlers may have a big impact on small, rural communities—sometimes straining resources but also offering promise for reinvigorating dying communities.

U.S. Rural Soldiers Account For A Disproportionately High Share Of Casualties In Iraq And Afghanistan, William P. O'Hare, Bill Bishop

Carsey School of Public Policy

A study by the Carsey Institute found that among U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, those who are from rural America are dying at a higher rate than those soldiers who are from cities and suburbs. According to U.S. Department of Defense records, rural youth enlist in the military at a higher rate than urban and suburban youth and in all but eight states, soldiers from rural areas make up a disproportionately high share of the casualties.

Subprime And Predatory Lending In Rural America: Mortgage Lending Practices That Can Trap Low-Income Rural People, Carla Dickstein, Lance George, Theresa Singleton, Hannah Thomas

Carsey School of Public Policy

This brief examines predatory mortgage loans and the harmful impact they have on rural homeowners and their communities. The report finds that minorities and low-income people are more likely to fall victim to higher-cost loans. The brief includes recommendations for policy changes at the state and federal levels, as well as advice on identifying and avoiding predatory loans.

Values And Religion In Rural America: Attitudes Toward Abortion And Same-Sex Relations, Michele Dillon, Sarah Savage

Carsey School of Public Policy

The rural vote is critical, but how do rural voters' views on issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and religion influence elections? This brief compares rural and urban views on these divisive issues and examines how much rural opinions vary within rural regions of the country.

Rural Voting In The 2004 Election, Lawrence C. Hamilton

Carsey School of Public Policy

Rural votes can often make the difference between what party controls Congress and who is living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This Carsey fact sheet presents detailed patterns of rural voting by region and shows that these patterns are better explained by looking at demographic factors rather than simply by where people live.

The State Of Working New Hampshire 2006, Allison Churilla

Carsey School of Public Policy

While New Hampshire has the highest labor force participation (71 percent) and the second-lowest unemployment and underemployment rates in New England, recent trends in employment and wages point to growing disparities in the state, this issue brief finds. The brief provides a state-focused analysis of the Economic Policy Institute's report, “The State of Working America 2005/2006.”

The State Of Working Vermont 2006, Allison Churilla

Carsey School of Public Policy

Vermont enjoys higher-than-average workforce participation rates and the lowest unemployment in New England, but the state's wage levels remain well below regional standards and the workforce is aging, finds this issue brief prepared by the Carsey Institute in partnership with the Public Assets Institute of Vermont. The brief highlights trends related to the economic and labor force characteristics of Vermont's workers.

Resident Ownership In New Hampshire's "Mobile Home Parks": A Report On Economic Outcomes (Revised 2010), Sally Ward, Charles A. French, Kelly Giraud

Carsey School of Public Policy

Since 1984, the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund has been helping residents of manufactured home communities purchase the land underneath their homes. Since then, homeowners have purchased 80 manufactured home communities and converted them into “Resident Owned Communities” (ROCs) in New Hampshire. These communities now include 4,200 homeowners. The premise of the loan fund program is that resident ownership provides both an important vehicle for preserving affordable housing and economic benefits to homeowners in ROCs. Until now, no systematic data have been available to confirm the benefits. To fill that gap, the fund contracted researchers from the Carsey Institute at …

The Changing Spatial Concentration Of America’S Rural Poor Population, Kenneth M. Johnson, Daniel T. Lichter

Sociology

This paper documents changing patterns of concentrated poverty in nonmetro areas. Data from the 1970 through 2000 U.S. Census Summary Files reveal the changing shares of poor people and children living in rural counties with disproportionately poor populations. Nonmetro poverty rates – both overall and for children – declined more rapidly than metro rates in the 1990s. The 1990s also brought large reductions in the number of high-poverty nonmetro counties, and declines in the share of rural people, including rural poor people, who were living in them. In particular, the number and percentage of rural people living in extremely poor …

Research On Synthetic Rope And Its Future In Timber Harvesting, Joel N. Hartter, Jared Leonard, John Garland, Steve Pilkerton

Geography

Steel wire rope is used for many logging applications. It has served the industry well in terms of strength, durability, and longevity. However, steel wire rope is difficult to use because it is stiff, heavy, and unyielding. These characteristics can lead to fatigue and exhaustion, and may contribute to worker injuries. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene synthetic rope has the potential to replace steel wire rope for selected logging applications. Research shows ergonomic gains and other operational effectiveness with its use. This paper presents research results, potentials, and issues in improving economic and ergonomic performance of ground-based and cable logging. Potential …

Rural Families Choose Home-Based Child Care For Their Preschool-Aged Children, Kristin Smith

Carsey School of Public Policy

This policy brief examines who is taking care of preschoolers of employed mothers in rural America. While most rural families choose home-based child care (such as relatives or informal nonrelated care providers), formal care (such as in day care centers) has positive benefits to a child's development. The brief recommends that programs are needed that either make formal care more affordable and accessible in rural communities, or that train home-based care providers to provide quality care.

Child Poverty In Rural America: New Data Shows Increases In 41 States, William P. O'Hare, Sarah Savage

Carsey School of Public Policy

A study by the Carsey Institute, based on U.S. Census Bureau data, found that in forty-one states, a higher percentage of rural children live in poverty than did in 2000. While the poverty level in 2006 was relatively stagnant compared to 2005's poverty level, the situation is clearly becoming worse for rural kids.

Digital Imaging Basics, Eleta Exline

University Library Scholarship

This presentation was part of a workshop and demonstration on the digitization of library archival materials, including sampling rates, the effect of resolution on file size and fidelity, color correction and other image adjustments, dynamic range, and best practices.

Delivered to the New Hampshire Archives Group Spring Meeting, Hillsborough, New Hampshire. June 28, 2006

Substance Abuse In Rural And Small Town America, Karen T. Van Gundy

Carsey School of Public Policy

Alcohol abuse exceeds illicit drug abuse in rural America and is a serious problem among rural youth, as highlighted here. The report also confirms that the abuse of stimulants, including methamphetamine, is high among certain rural populations, particularly among the rural unemployed.

That Was Totally Intense! A Study Of Emphatic Adverbial Modifiers In Male And Female Speech, Shellie Chiavetta

Inquiry Journal 2006

No abstract provided.

Low-Skill Workers In Rural America Face Permanent Job Loss, Amy Glasmeier, Priscilla Salant

Carsey School of Public Policy

Global economic competition and other factors have cost rural America 1.5 million jobs in the past six years. This brief analyzes job displacement figures from around the country between 1997 and 2003. The loss of rural jobs was particularly large in the manufacturing sector, and the rate of loss was higher in the rural Northeast than in the rest of rural America. The key causes fueling the trend have been the push for cost savings through automation and cheaper labor overseas.

Pieces Of The Past: Ceramics Analysis At San Bartolo, Guatemala, Caitlin Walker

Inquiry Journal 2006

No abstract provided.

The Cultural Context Of Research: Child Labor And Daily Life In Tanzania, Erica Bertolotto

Inquiry Journal 2006

No abstract provided.

“My Mind Is Like A Dark Storm Cloud”: Observations And Experiences In Norwegian Dementia Care, Cristina Joseph

Inquiry Journal 2006

No abstract provided.

Reaffirmation Of “Ritual Cosmos”: Tibetan Perceptions Of Landscape And Socio-Economic Development In Southwest China, Tyler Denison

Inquiry Journal 2006

No abstract provided.

The Wrongful-Life Concept: The Role Of The Courts In Individual Morality, Devon Mercer

Inquiry Journal 2006

No abstract provided.

Demographic Trends In Rural And Small Town America, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey School of Public Policy

This report examines the changing demographics of rural America and shows that the makeup of rural America is changing as certain regions grow with the migration of retirees and baby boomers into amenity-rich areas. At the same time, other places face economic uncertainty as younger residents continue to leave in search of more opportunities. Racial and ethnic diversity, meanwhile, continues to increase.

Balancing Leisure And Work: Evidence From The Seasonal Home, Susan I. Stewart, Kenneth M. Johnson

Sociology

Seasonal homes are used during leisure time for many recreational activities, yet recent technological innovations have diminished the separation between the work place and the seasonal home. In a survey of Walworth County seasonal home owners, most who work full time report they seldom work during vacations and weekends from their seasonal home. Yet there is a distinct subgroup who do mix work into weekends and vacations for a variety of reasons. The most frequent reasons given by these people for working from the seasonal home were related to the expectations of coworkers and clients. Understanding more about the habits …

Our Energy (In) Security, Stacy D. Vandeveer

The University Dialogue

Energy issues have long been at the heart of human security concerns. At one level, we humans have always needed food energy and heat energy to survive and thrive. Yet, with the industrial revolution and our discoveries of the tremendous utility of fossils fuels like coal and oil, the security concerns related to human energy demands have expanded dramatically as our demand for energy accelerated rapidly. My proposed Discovery Dialogue essay begins by noting the eternal human need for energy supplies of various kinds. It then focuses attention on the contemporary links between energy and security at three levels of …

Land Use And Transportation Planning To Promote Physical Activity In North Carolina, Semra Aytur

Health Management & Policy

With national and state agencies as well as leading public health foundations providing impetus, efforts to improve the understanding of policy and environmental attributes that may support active lifestyles have become a promising area for collaboration between planning and public health professionals. This article highlights the results of work performed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examining the relationship between planning policies and physical activity and the prevalence of land use policies and implementation tools that might support the viability of non-motorized modes. With the hope of bridging research and practice, it discusses fi ndings most relevant …

The North Carolina Physical Activity Policy Research Center: Making Connections With North Carolina Planners, Kelly R. Evenson, Carrie Fesperman, Semra Aytur, Austin Brown, Daniel A. Rodriguez, David Salveson

Health Management & Policy

Physical activity participation for youth and adults is suboptimal in North Carolina. There is growing interest among policy makers to promote physical activity, yet research in this area is limited. The North Carolina Physical Activity Policy Research Center was established in 2004 to conduct research on physical activity and policy. This cross-disciplinary center brings together faculty and researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health and the College of Arts and Sciences. Current projects include understanding and documenting polices that affect walking and bicycling to school, trail development, and community planning decisions related to physical activity.

Hop On The Bus, Gus: The Power Of Public Transit, Sonke Dornblut

The University Dialogue

As a society, we have designed a transportation system that appears to work quite well for most of us; all we have to do is hop into a car and we are going places! Unfortunately, that system doesn’t work for all of us. The barrier to participation is really quite high. One must be able to afford a car, to maintain a car, and to insure a car and one must be able to drive - otherwise the system doesn’t offer much. In order to receive at least some benefit, access by the non-driver must be facilitated. Access facilitation to …

Powering Down Technology, Janine Jacques

The University Dialogue

This paper will examine the issue of energy consumption resulting from the use of technology. It will identify and evaluate potential solutions currently being deployed by data center managers. In addition, the paper will recommend guidelines for reducing energy consumption for both the individual and business consumer.

Energy – The Not-So Bottomless Oil Well And The Alternatives, P.T. Vasudevan

The University Dialogue

This essay examines both sides of the “Hubbert’s peak” debate and their implications for energy policy. If there is a strong case for governments to wean their economies of oil, how do they do it? What low-carbon or alternative technologies bear watching? How will these technologies affect the environment? How long will the world remain reliant on oil considering that industries are 98% dependent on petroleum products?