Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Lynn, Nahant, And Saugus, Phillip Granberry, Sarah Rustan

Gastón Institute Publications

This report provides a descriptive snapshot of selected economic, social, educational, and demographic indicators pertaining to Latinos in the cities of Lynn, Nahant, and Saugus. This report is prepared for the 2010 Statewide Latino Public Policy Conference organized by UMass Boston’s Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy. It is part of larger series that covers fourteen cities, or clusters of cities, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each report analyzes data from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS’s smallest geographic area is a Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA) consisting …

Women’S Health Disparities And Midwifery Care, Adeola Oni-Orisan, Dorothy Hiersteiner, Althea Swett

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

This fact sheet was developed for the roundtables project “Midwifery Care in New England: Addressing the Needs of Underserved and Diverse Communities of Women.” Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Women’s Health (Region I), this initiative addresses the challenges and opportunities related to the provision of midwifery care to underserved and vulnerable populations of women. The project aims to increase our understanding of regional midwifery workforce needs in the context of ensuring that all women living in New England have access to timely, affordable, and high-quality health care.

The September 2010 roundtables were …

Women’S Health Disparities And Midwifery Care: Spotlight On Connecticut, Dorothy Hiersteiner, Kaye Inandan

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

Although Connecticut’s Medicaid programs, Husky A and B, are essential providers of coverage for maternity care, there are still major racial and ethnic disparities in access to, use of, and quality of prenatal care in Connecticut. The cesarean birth rate in the state is almost 9% higher than the US average. African American/black and Hispanic mothers experience comparatively high rates of low birth weight births. Furthermore, Connecticut is home to a substantial rural population which experiences unique challenges to accessing adequate health care. While 75% of the Connecticut population is non-Hispanic white, 9% is African American/black, 12% is Hispanic and …

Women’S Health Disparities And Midwifery Care: Spotlight On Maine, Dorothy Hiersteiner

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

With a large percentage of its population living in rural areas, Maine faces obstacles to providing adequate prenatal and maternity care to many women. The vast majority (96.2%) of Maine residents are non-Hispanic white, 1.2% are African American/black, 1.4% are Hispanic and 1.2% have other racial/ethnic backgrounds.

Women’S Health Disparities And Midwifery Care: Spotlight On Massachusetts, Dorothy Hiersteiner

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

As a result of Massachusetts’ 2006 health insurance coverage law, there has been a significant decrease in the uninsurance rate for women of color. Access to and use of health care for all women in the Commonwealth has also increased. Despite these coverage and access gains, major racial/ethnic disparities in health conditions and outcomes still exist among women, especially in the use and quality of prenatal care, the occurrence of preterm and low birth weight births, and infant mortality rates. The proportion of Massachusetts births that were cesarean deliveries in 2007 was 8% higher than the national rate. Compared to …

Women’S Health Disparities And Midwifery Care: Spotlight On New Hampshire, Dorothy Hiersteiner

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

New Hampshire faces significant obstacles to serving the nearly 6% of the population living in medically underserved areas. In addition, many residents of New Hampshire are uninsured, limiting their access to vital medical care. According to 2007-8 data, the racial/ethnic breakdown of New Hampshire residents is: 1% African American/black, 2% Hispanic, 94% non-Hispanic white and 3% Other. In 2005, 5.9% of the total New Hampshire population was foreign born.1 Since 1996, New Hampshire has seen increases in low birth weight births, cesarean births2, and infant mortality with racial/ethnic disparities reflected in most maternal and infant indicators.

Women’S Health Disparities And Midwifery Care: Spotlight On Vermont, Dorothy Hiersteiner

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

In Vermont, racial and ethnic dispariti es in low birth weight and preterm birth rates exist alongside racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance coverage and use of preventative care. As of 2005, the percentage of racial and ethnic minorities in Vermont was approximately 3.3%, compared to 25% for the nation as a whole. In 2005, 3.4% of the Vermont population was foreign born.

Battery Technology For Electric And Hybrid Vehicles: Expert Views On Prospects For Advancement, Erin D. Baker, Haewon Chon, Jeffrey M. Keisler

Management Science and Information Systems Faculty Publication Series

In this paper we present the results of an expert elicitation on the prospects for advances in battery technology for electric and hybrid vehicles. We find disagreement among the experts on a wide range of topics, including the need for government funding, the probability of getting batteries with lithium metal anodes to work, and the probability of building safe Lithium-ion batteries. Averaging across experts we find that U.S. government expenditures of $150M/yr lead to a 66% chance of achieving a battery that costs less than $200/kWh, and a 20% chance for a cost of $90/kWh or less. Reducing the cost …

Women’S Health Disparities And Midwifery Care: Spotlight On Rhode Island, Dorothy Hiersteiner

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

Rhode Islanders face unique health disparities based on race, ethnicity and location. Just over six percent (6.3%) of the Rhode Island population is living in Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), according to 2008 data. Native American and African American/black communities face particular health disparities, specifically in the areas of reproductive and infant health. In 2008, 79% of the Rhode Island population was non-Hispanic white, while 5% was African-American/black, 11% was Hispanic and 5% had other racial/ethnic backgrounds. In 2005, 12.4% of the total Rhode Island population was foreign born.

Asian Adoptees And Post-Adoption Services In Massachusetts: Data From Providers And Reflections From Adult Adoptees, Nathan James Bae Kupel

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

In the summer of 2009, the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston in consultation with Boston Korean Adoptees, Inc. (BKA), commenced a project aimed at documenting post-adoption services and programs available to Asian adoptees, principally Korean, in Massachusetts and assessing their content and relevance. In the first part of the project, a questionnaire was sent to providers of post-adoption services and program currently available requesting information about their services—number, content, clientele, resources, and staffing. In addition providers were asked to comment on the frequency of requests for services and on challenges faced in offering them. …

Data Note: Measuring The Outcomes Of Job Seekers With Intellectual Or Developmental Disabilities In The Vocational Rehabilitation Program, Daria Domin, Alberto Migliore

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Most people with intellectual or developmental disabilities aspire to gainful employment. To assist them with this goal, state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies offer employment-development services that are based upon Individualized Plans for Employment (IPEs). A commonly used measure of outcomes is the rehabilitation rate, which is defined as the percentage of individuals who achieve employment out of all individuals whose cases were closed after receiving services. This indicator, however, neglects to consider that for various reasons not all individuals progress to receive services. This information is important because not receiving services translates directly into exiting the VR program without an …

The Boom Not The Slump: The Right Time For Austerity, Arjun Jayadev, Mike Konczal

Economics Faculty Publication Series

Should the United States cut its deficit in the short term? This has been the subject of intense debate among politicians, policy analysts and thinkers over the past year. What are the consequences of cutting the deficit with interest rates low, unemployment high and growth uncertain?

Program Evaluation Of A Community-Based Door-Through-Door Medical Escort Service, Lauren A. Martin

Gerontology Institute Publications

This report summarizes the program evaluation findings of a Boston-based organization’s Medical Escort program. This “door-through-door” service strives to provide medical transportation, physical assistance, and emotional support to elders on their way to the doctor’s office, during medical appointments and on the way back home again. By offering added assistance the program attempts to remove environmental barriers associated with access to health care. This evaluation combines previously collected program statistics with surveys (32) from program volunteers and phone interviews (78) with recipients.

Getting Past 'Rational Man/Emotional Woman': Comments On Research Programs In Happiness Economics And Interpersonal Relations, Julie A. Nelson

Economics Faculty Publication Series

Orthodox neoclassical economics portrays reason as far more important than emotion, autonomy as more characteristic of economic life than social connection, and, more generally, things culturally and cognitively associated with masculinity as more central than things associated with femininity. Research from contemporary neuroscience suggests that such biases are related to certain automatic processes in the brain, and feminist scholarship suggests ways of getting beyond them. The “happiness” and “interpersonal relations” economics research programs have made substantial progress in overcoming a number of these biases, bringing into consideration by economists a wide range of phenomena which were previously neglected. Analysis from …

States To The Rescue: Policy Options For State Government To Promote Private Sector Retirement Savings, Christian A. Weller, Amy Helburn

Gerontology Institute Publications

We provide an overview of retirement plan proposals that could be implemented at the state level. All aim to increase participation in retirement savings, mainly by lowering the cost of doing so and possibly by offering some employer or government matches to employee contributions. The proposals vary widely on how much risk employees are exposed to. Some proposals leave most of the risks of saving for retirement – investment, market, and longevity risk – with the employee, while others try to eliminate them all. The tools of risk management range from well-diversified index funds and default investments to required offers …

Using Critical & Creative Thinking To Enhance Productivity In Integrated Marketing Communications Meetings And Procedures, Ashley N. Smith

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

This paper provides a teaching model for how to effectively incorporate Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT) methods into a business setting to initiate organizational change. I developed a workshop on workplace meetings based on the imperfections of the marketing team at “ICS.” The workshop touches on CCT methods that are needed in order for organizations to change. I also integrated CCT methods into the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Procedure to enhance productivity and produce results. Integrated marketing is made up of many pieces of the media field, but often the participants in IMC are searching for the same end result. …

New Bedford/Fairhaven Municipal Harbor Plan, Fort Point Associates, Inc., Apex Companies, Llc, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Fxm Associates

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

The historic harbor lying between the City of New Bedford and Town of Fairhaven has shaped the identities and economies of these two municipalities for centuries. Today, the Harbor is one of nation’s preeminent fishing ports, ranked #1 nationally in 2007 in dollar value ($268 million) of fish landings with an estimated total economic regional impact of nearly $1 billion. The New Bedford’s seafood processing industry has grown in size and sophistication in recent years and is an internationally established center for this industry. Marine service and vessel repair industries, centered in Fairhaven, have an excellent reputation with commercial fleets …

Documentary Research And Archaeological Investigations At The Waite-Kirby-Potter Site, Westport, Massachusetts, Katharine M. Johnson, Christa M. Beranek, Kathryn A. Catlin, Laura W. Ng

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

Research on the Waite-Kirby-Potter house in Westport, Massachusetts, included mapping historical resources visible on the surface and excavating 25 test pits and units near the house foundations in the fall of 2009. Field investigations were complemented by extensive documentary research including a complete chain of title and genealogical research on the three families who have owned the property between the late 17th century and the present. The visible historical features include elements associated with the former stone ender (the standing stone end and chimney, an adjacent brick chimney, and a stone-lined cellar hole), stone walls, a 19th-century barn foundation, a …

Independent Information Technology Assessment: Prepared For The Town Of Middleborough And The Middleborough School Department, Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center For Public Management, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management Publications

This Independent Information Technology Assessment (IT Assessment) arose from long­standing concerns among various elected and appointed officials in the Town of Middleborough about the efficiency and effectiveness of the procurement and deployment of information technology (IT) in both the Town and in the School Department. At Middleborough’s direction, the IT Assessment specifically excluded the Police and Fire Departments as well as the Middleborough Gas and Electric Department.

Recognizing the need for a completely independent analysis of these issues, Middleborough contracted with the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management (the Collins Center), located within the McCormack Graduate School of …

Analysis Of The Delivery Of Public Services On Martha's Vineyard: Prepared For The Martha's Vineyard Commission And The County Of Dukes County, Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center For Public Management, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management Publications

This report was commissioned by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission through the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston and was funded by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development – District Local Technical Assistance Program. The report was prepared and presented by The Executive Suite for an analysis of the delivery of public services on Martha’s Vineyard. The purpose of the analysis is -

1. Inventory what existing services are delivered at various levels of local and regional government; prepare a list of services that are presently delivered, or could be delivered, by …

Women In The Down Economy: Impacts Of The Recession And The Stimulus In Massachusetts, Randy Albelda, Christa Kelleher

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

The “Great Recession” is affecting everyone in one way or another, but not everyone is affected in the same way. Women’s and men’s work (both in and out of the labor force) still differs, so we can expect that the economic crisis has had a distinct impact on women as well as their families. This policy brief discusses how the down economy has differentially impacted women and men in Massachusetts and the gendered implications of federal stimulus spending. It also identifies potential opportunities to promote gender equality as the United States, and Massachusetts in particular, attempt to move beyond the …

Profiles Of Asian American Subgroups In Massachusetts: Korean Americans In Massachusetts, Nathan James Bae Kupel

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report looks at Korean Americans in Massachusetts with a focus on the Metro Boston area. Using the 2000 U.S. Census and the American Community Survey 2005–2007 Three-Year Estimates in combination with interviews and secondary research, this profile looks at Korean American demographics and community perspectives.

Archaeological Site Examination Of The Field East Of The Grapery/Greenhouse, Drive Circle, Straight Walk, And South Lawn At Gore Place, Waltham, Massachusetts, J.N. Leith Smith, Christa M. Beranek, John M. Steinberg

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

A landscape restoration plan for the 45-acre historic estate of Massachusetts governor and United States senator, Christopher Gore and his wife Rebecca, recommended archaeological investigations to identify the location, character, and integrity of Gore-period features that could potentially be included in restoration efforts. Investigations began in 2004, focusing on better known landscape elements including the carriage drive, carriage house foundation, greenhouse, vegetable and flower gardens, and the site of the grapery/fruitwall (Smith and Dubell 2006). The 2008 investigations focused on the new site of the carriage house (reported under separate cover) and on lesser known elements of the estate that …

The Utility Of Trouble: Leveling The Playing Field: Giving Municipal Officials The Tools To Moderate Health Insurance Costs, Robert L. Carey

Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management Publications

According to the research, Boston could have reduced its 2010 health premiums by between 15.6 and 17.1 percent, for a savings of between $41.4 and $45.4 million by joining the state’s Group Insurance Commission, more widely known as the GIC. The City is unable to join the GIC, however, without first receiving 70% union approval, according to state law. This requirement and the associated tradeoffs involved are a major barrier to municipal participation in the GIC. Several cities and towns including Boston have called for cities and towns to have the same ability as the state to design health insurance …

Data Note: Vocational Rehabilitation Employment Outcomes For Transition-Age Youth With Autism And Other Disabilities, Frank A. Smith, Jaime Lugas

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Youth with autism, like youth from other disability subgroups, often participate in state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs to obtain employment. While youth with autism represent a small percentage of all VR closures, the number with autism who closed out of VR more than tripled between 2003 and 2008 (see figure). In this Data Note, we compare employment outcomes for two subgroups of youth who exited VR in FY 2008, those with autism and those with all other disabilities.

Competitive Strategies In The Us Retail Industry: Consequences For Jobs In Food And Consumer Electronics Stores, Françoise Carré, Chris Tilly, Brandynn Holgate

Center for Social Policy Publications

US retail markets are characterized by consolidation, globalization, and the spread of big-box discounters. What do these trends mean for job quality and workers? For compensation, skill content of jobs, and opportunities for promotion? What role do institutions—regulatory, or representative—play in shaping company strategies, and outcomes for jobs as well as workers?

Retail generates a large and growing volume of entry-level jobs and is a rare industry with few educational requirements at entry. It is a highly relevant area of the labor market to examine to understand opportunities for low skill and mid level skill workers.

Findings come from case …

A Different Path Forward: The Institute For New England Native American Studies At Umass, J. Cedric Woods

Institute for New England Native American Studies Publications

In New England, interactions between Native peoples and some public institutions have taken divergent paths over the past three decades. State legislatures and the many academic institutions that call the region home have developed different approaches to working with Native peoples.

The Mass. Memories Road Show: A State-Wide Scanning Project, Joanne M. Riley, Heather Cole

Joseph P. Healey Library Publications

The Mass. Memories Road Show (http://blogs.umb.edu/massmemories) is a public scanning project based at the University of Massachusetts Boston which partners with local communities to digitize family photographs and stories at public events with the goal of creating a digital portrait of all the 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. This article describes how the project works to ensure broad participation in the planning and execution of the project, as well as a detailed description of the logistics of a Road Show event, which could be replicated in other communities.

State Agency Promising Practice: Massachusetts - Using A Collaborative, Person-Centered Planning Approach To Facilitate Community Employment, Jennifer Bose, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

The Northeast Region Supported Employment Project was developed by the North Shore area office of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services in 2007. This pilot program, open to any individual with ID/DD who wanted to work, emphasized a person-centered planning approach to achieving the individuals’ goals for employment in the community. The project emphasized the individual’s choice of employment providers, collaboration with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), and use of an independent facilitator to support career and life planning. The project was spearheaded by two DDS administrators dedicated to communicating the value of community-based employment to the Department.

State Agency Promising Practice: Michigan’S Job Development Incentive, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Michigan’s Department of Community Health, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Administration (MDCH) has expressed a strong desire to improve the state’s employment outcomes among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Set against this desire is a major obstacle: Michigan is among the states hardest hit by the continuing economic recession, with the highest unemployment rate in the nation. MCDH delivers supports through local Community Mental Health Services Programs (CMHSPs). These CMHSPs not only experience differences in employment rates but also have high variability in their funding levels and structures, payment methodologies, and reimbursement mechanisms. Local CMHSPs individualize their contracts …