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Full-Text Articles in Rural Sociology
Proposed Eitc Expansion Would Increase Eligibility And Dollars For Rural And Urban “Childless” Workers, Jessica A. Carson, Marybeth J. Mattingly
Proposed Eitc Expansion Would Increase Eligibility And Dollars For Rural And Urban “Childless” Workers, Jessica A. Carson, Marybeth J. Mattingly
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
This brief uses data from the 2013 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey to examine how President Obama’s proposed expanded eligibility and higher credit values might affect tax filers in both rural and urban America. Authors Jessica Carson and Marybeth Mattingly report that proposed changes to the earned income tax credit (EITC) will increase the share of workers without a qualifying child eligible for the EITC equally in rural and urban places, although rural residents are more likely to be eligible under both current and proposed policies. The average increase in the credit is $476, more …
Underemployment In Urban And Rural America, 2005-2012, Justin R. Young
Underemployment In Urban And Rural America, 2005-2012, Justin R. Young
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
Author Justin Young reports that underemployment (or involuntary part-time work) rates doubled during the second year of the recession, reaching roughly 6.5 percent in 2009. This increase was equally steep in both rural and urban places. By March of 2012, underemployment was slightly lower in rural places (4.8 percent) compared to urban places (5.3 percent). Prior to the recession, however, underemployment was slightly higher in rural America. Workers under age 30, as well as women, black, and Hispanic workers, continue to experience higher levels of underemployment. Underemployment is strongly linked with education, with the least educated workers experiencing higher rates …
Mapping Food Insecurity And Food Sources In New Hampshire Cities And Towns, Barbara Wauchope, Sally Ward
Mapping Food Insecurity And Food Sources In New Hampshire Cities And Towns, Barbara Wauchope, Sally Ward
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
Using a series of detailed New Hampshire maps, this brief presents a geographic picture of the towns and cities at risk for food insecurity as well as the food resources available across the state. By detailing places with high food insecurity risk and comparing them to places where food is available, these maps show areas of unmet need. This information will enable organizations partnering with New Hampshire Hunger Solutions to identify where initiatives addressing food insecurity and hunger could have the greatest potential impact.
Forest Views: Northeast Oregon Survey Looks At Community And Environment, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Joel N. Hartter, Forrest Stevens, Russell G. Congalton, Mark J. Ducey, Michael Campbell, Daniel Maynard, Michael Staunton
Forest Views: Northeast Oregon Survey Looks At Community And Environment, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Joel N. Hartter, Forrest Stevens, Russell G. Congalton, Mark J. Ducey, Michael Campbell, Daniel Maynard, Michael Staunton
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
This brief reports on a survey conducted in fall 2011 as one component of the ongoing Communities and Forests in Oregon (CAFOR) project. The CAFOR project focuses on the people and landscapes of three counties in northeast Oregon (Baker, Union, and Wallowa), where landscapes and communities are changing in interconnected ways.
Coos Teens’ View Of Family Economic Stress Is Tied To Quality Of Relationships At Home, Corinna J. Tucker, Genevieve R. Cox
Coos Teens’ View Of Family Economic Stress Is Tied To Quality Of Relationships At Home, Corinna J. Tucker, Genevieve R. Cox
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
Family economic hardship during adolescence affects family relationships and the social, emotional, and behavioral development of a substantial number of American youth. The authors of this brief use data from the Coos County Youth Study, conducted by the Carsey Institute, to explore adolescents’ perceptions of family economic pressure in 2008 and determine whether these views are linked to their family relationship experiences one year later. They report that one-third of adolescents in Coos County, New Hampshire, perceive that their family is experiencing significant economic pressure and that significant economic pressure is linked to negative parent-child and sibling relationships one year …
Stretching Ties: Social Capital In The Rebranding Of Coos County, New Hampshire, Michele Dillon
Stretching Ties: Social Capital In The Rebranding Of Coos County, New Hampshire, Michele Dillon
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
Place rebranding is gaining in popularity as cities and rural communities alike attempt to expand their revenue streams through innovative marketing strategies that seek to revitalize or create tourism destinations. These efforts tend to come about as part of an economic development strategy pursued by communities that have borne steep economic losses resulting from global economic restructuring and the decline in traditional manufacturing, agriculture, and natural-resource extraction. Author Michele Dillon explores the role of social capital in rural wealth generation by focusing on how it was used to advance place rebranding in Coos County in northern New Hampshire.
Jobs, Natural Resources, And Community Resilience: A Survey Of Southeast Alaskans About Social And Environmental Change, Thomas G. Safford, Megan M. Henly, Jessica D. Ulrich
Jobs, Natural Resources, And Community Resilience: A Survey Of Southeast Alaskans About Social And Environmental Change, Thomas G. Safford, Megan M. Henly, Jessica D. Ulrich
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
As part of the Community and Environment in Rural America (CERA) project, researchers at the Carsey Institute surveyed 1,541 residents of the ten boroughs and unincorporated census areas in Southeast Alaska to better understand social and environmental change in the region and their implications for Alaskan community and families. The authors of this brief report that social problems in the extremely isolated region of Southeast Alaska such as crime and drug use are closely related to economic distress, particularly in small outlying communities.
Tanf In Rural America: Informing Re-Authorization, Leif Jensen, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Jessica A. Bean
Tanf In Rural America: Informing Re-Authorization, Leif Jensen, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Jessica A. Bean
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
In 1996 welfare reform ushered in a new era in which cash assistance for poor parents became both temporary and conditional on activities to promote economic independence through work. Cash assistance from TANF relieves, but does not eliminate, poverty because benefit levels are far too low to lift families above the poverty threshold. These ameliorative effects are weaker in rural than urban areas. Over time, the positive impacts of TANF receipt have continued to decline. The authors assert that the necessity of re-authorizing TANF gives us an opportunity to reflect on its strengths and limitations.
Southeastern Kentuckians Remain Optimistic Through Great Recession: Growing Concerns About Sprawl, Housing, And Recreational Opportunities, Jessica D. Ulrich
Southeastern Kentuckians Remain Optimistic Through Great Recession: Growing Concerns About Sprawl, Housing, And Recreational Opportunities, Jessica D. Ulrich
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
In May and June of 2007, Carsey Institute researchers surveyed 1,000 randomly selected respondents from Kentucky’s Harlan and Letcher counties, and between November 2010 and January 2011, they returned to survey 1,020 different randomly selected respondents from the same counties. These two Kentucky counties provide a snapshot of perceptions of community and environmental change in a chronically poor rural place. This brief focuses on the questions asked in both surveys to identify area wide (Harlan and Letcher counties combined) changes since the Great Recession. The surveys reveal that the recession has exacerbated concern about many community-level problems including poverty, affordable …
Continuity And Change In Coos County: Results From The 2010 North Country Cera Survey, Chris R. Colocousis, Justin R. Young
Continuity And Change In Coos County: Results From The 2010 North Country Cera Survey, Chris R. Colocousis, Justin R. Young
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
This brief from Chris Colocousis and Justin Young uses the most recent North Country CERA survey to focus on change and continuity in Coos County between 2007 and 2010, and then makes comparisons of the present conditions across the three study counties. The authors examine such topics as community problems, environmental and economic concerns, and community cohesion and confidence in the local government. They report that Coos County residents remain highly concerned about the lack of economic opportunities in the region, and their concern about population decline has increased in recent years. Coos residents see the economic future of their …
Rural And Central City Residents With Multiple Children Likely To Be Hardest Hit By Proposed Wic Cuts, Jessica A. Bean
Rural And Central City Residents With Multiple Children Likely To Be Hardest Hit By Proposed Wic Cuts, Jessica A. Bean
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
This brief uses data from the 2007 and 2010 Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement to describe the distribution of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) receipt across the population and to detail place-based differences in receipt. WIC is a nutrition program that serves pregnant or postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 (who meet certain criteria) by providing them with nutrition education and checks or vouchers for food purchases. The proposed fiscal year 2012 funding is $733 million less for WIC than fiscal year 2011 levels, and far less than …
Rural Workers Have Less Access To Paid Sick Days, Kristin Smith, Andrew P. Schaefer
Rural Workers Have Less Access To Paid Sick Days, Kristin Smith, Andrew P. Schaefer
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
This brief, using data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW) survey, analyzes paid sick time rates of workers by place and type of work. Paid sick days provide job protection to workers and a steady paycheck when they need to care for themselves or family members. Paid sick days also help workers with more limited resources who cannot otherwise afford to take a day off. Authors Kristin Smith and Andrew Schaefer report that a greater proportion of rural workers than urban workers (both suburban and central-city) lack access to at least five paid sick days per …
How Far Would You Drive For Fresh Food? How Some Rural New Hampshire Residents Navigate A Dismal Food Landscape, Jennifer J. Esala
How Far Would You Drive For Fresh Food? How Some Rural New Hampshire Residents Navigate A Dismal Food Landscape, Jennifer J. Esala
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
Lack of access to food stores with healthy and affordable food is one of the central obstacles to eradicating hunger in America. Approximately 23.5 million Americans live more than a mile from a supermarket, which makes accessing healthy food more challenging. Among low income populations, especially those with young children and limited transportation, this distance can severely limit access to affordable and healthy foods. This brief reports the challenges that eighteen rural New Hampshire mothers face to secure healthy, affordable, and quality foods and suggests ways to help address these challenges.
Hard Times Made Harder: Struggling Caregivers And Child Neglect, Wendy A. Walsh
Hard Times Made Harder: Struggling Caregivers And Child Neglect, Wendy A. Walsh
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
Poverty is only one of many challenges tied to a report of child neglect. The analysis in this brief finds that neglected children whose caregivers struggle with substance abuse and mental health problems are at significant risk for out-of-home placement. Risk factors for out-of-home placement for neglected children are discussed, as well as a multifaceted approach to services to prevent neglect and out-of-home placement.
The Unequal Distribution Of Child Poverty: Highest Rates Among Young Blacks And Children Of Single Mothers In Rural America, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Jessica A. Bean
The Unequal Distribution Of Child Poverty: Highest Rates Among Young Blacks And Children Of Single Mothers In Rural America, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Jessica A. Bean
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
Measuring by race, place, and family, this brief highlights poverty rates for two rural groups--young black children and children of single mothers--who each face rates around 50%.
Young Child Poverty In 2009: Rural Poverty Rate Jumps To Nearly 29 Percent In Second Year Of Recession, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Michelle L. Stransky
Young Child Poverty In 2009: Rural Poverty Rate Jumps To Nearly 29 Percent In Second Year Of Recession, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Michelle L. Stransky
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
The U.S. Census Bureau's release of its American Community Survey data in September 2010 illustrated some expected changes in poverty rates in 2009, the second year of the Great Recession. For young children under age 6, living in poverty is especially difficult, given the long-term effects on health and education. Every region of the country except the West saw increases in rural young child poverty in 2009.
Homeless Teens And Young Adults In New Hampshire, Barbara Wauchope
Homeless Teens And Young Adults In New Hampshire, Barbara Wauchope
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
More than 1,000 adolescents and young adults in New Hampshire are homeless, and their numbers are growing. The brief, co-published with the Children's Alliance of New Hampshire, provides an estimate of homeless youth in New Hampshire calculated from and state data and describes the needs of homeless youth based on interviews and a survey of providers of homeless services in the state.
Out-Of-Home Care By State And Place: Higher Placement Rates For Children In Some Remote Rural Places, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Melissa Wells, Michael Dineen
Out-Of-Home Care By State And Place: Higher Placement Rates For Children In Some Remote Rural Places, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Melissa Wells, Michael Dineen
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
This fact sheet examines out-of-home placement rates for children removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. The data finds that children in remote rural areas have overall higher rates of out-of-home placements. It also provides data on placement rates by rural or urban status to help inform policy makers as they discuss the child welfare system.
Youth Opinions Matter: Retaining Human Capital In Coos County, Cesar J. Rebellon, Nena F. Stracuzzi, Melissa Burbank
Youth Opinions Matter: Retaining Human Capital In Coos County, Cesar J. Rebellon, Nena F. Stracuzzi, Melissa Burbank
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
As Coos County youth age, their attachment to their communities may deteriorate. This brief presents new data from the Coos Youth Study. This research indicates efforts to keep young people in Coos may benefit from efforts to show students that their views matter to adults in their communities.
Working Parents And Workplace Flexibility In New Hampshire, Kristin Smith, Malcolm Smith
Working Parents And Workplace Flexibility In New Hampshire, Kristin Smith, Malcolm Smith
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
This report, a joint effort between the Carsey Institute, UNH Cooperative Extension, and New Hampshire Employment Security, looks at working parents and their job flexibility and the importance it has for families trying to achieve a work-life balance.
Over 3 Million Low-Income Children In Rural Areas Face Cut In Child Tax Credit If Recovery Act Improvement Expires, Arloc Sherman, Marybeth J. Mattingly
Over 3 Million Low-Income Children In Rural Areas Face Cut In Child Tax Credit If Recovery Act Improvement Expires, Arloc Sherman, Marybeth J. Mattingly
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
According to this new research, at the end of 2010, the Child Tax Credit improvements that were included in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will expire if Congress does not extend them. If this happens, low-income working families across America will be affected.
Race, Class, And Community In A Southern Forest-Dependent Region, Chris R. Colocousis, Luke T. Rogers
Race, Class, And Community In A Southern Forest-Dependent Region, Chris R. Colocousis, Luke T. Rogers
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
Based on a Community and Environment in Rural America survey, this brief looks at four counties in Alabama. It finds blacks and whites have different outcomes in the community, despite expectations of regional stability and greater equality. Though they reported similar rates of social mobility, African Americans in the "Black Belt" of Alabama are disproportionately poorer and employed in lower-skill jobs than whites.
Ocean Views: Coastal Environmental Problems As Seen By Downeast Maine Residents, Thomas G. Safford, Lawrence C. Hamilton
Ocean Views: Coastal Environmental Problems As Seen By Downeast Maine Residents, Thomas G. Safford, Lawrence C. Hamilton
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
This brief contends that loss of fishing jobs and income is the top environment-related concern among residents of Maine's Hancock and Washington counties, as well as forestry decline and water pollution. Also of note, across a wide range of environmental issues, political party affiliation is associated with level of concern about environmental problems.
Low Income And Impoverished Families Pay Disproportionately More For Child Care, Kristin Smith, Kristi Gozjolko
Low Income And Impoverished Families Pay Disproportionately More For Child Care, Kristin Smith, Kristi Gozjolko
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
According to research based on the 2004 Survey of Income and Program Participation, working families with young children living in poverty pay 32 percent of their income on child care, nearly five times more than families living at more than 200 percent of the poverty level. This brief asks policy makers to consider allowing more subsidies to be available to those who could benefit most from them.
Rural And Urban Children Have Lower Rates Of Health Insurance Coverage And Are More Often Covered By Public Plans, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Michelle L. Stransky
Rural And Urban Children Have Lower Rates Of Health Insurance Coverage And Are More Often Covered By Public Plans, Marybeth J. Mattingly, Michelle L. Stransky
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
This Carsey brief looks at the geographic distribution of health insurance for children. Based on data from the 2008 American Community Survey, it includes such findings as one in ten children are still uninsured, insurance rates vary considerably by geographic area, and rural children are most likely to depend on public plans for their health care.
Regional Young Child Poverty In 2008: Rural Midwest Sees Increased Poverty, While Urban Northeast Rates Decrease, Marybeth J. Mattingly
Regional Young Child Poverty In 2008: Rural Midwest Sees Increased Poverty, While Urban Northeast Rates Decrease, Marybeth J. Mattingly
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
In 2008, America's recession affected poverty rates for children under age 6 unevenly, with rates in the rural Midwest rising significantly, while rates in northeastern central cities fell slightly. And in the rural South, where more than 30 percent of young children are poor, poverty rates for young children persisted at a very high rate. This is an analysis of American Community Survey data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Home Care Workers: Keeping Granite Staters In Their Homes As They Age, Kristin Smith
Home Care Workers: Keeping Granite Staters In Their Homes As They Age, Kristin Smith
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
Using data from the New Hampshire Direct Care Workforce Survey, this brief shows that New Hampshire's demand for home-based care workers outpaces supply because its population is aging at a faster rate than the average. These workers play a critical role and face many challenges, including low pay, little or no paid time off, and lack of access to health insurance.
Family-Friendly Policies For Rural Working Mothers, Rebecca K. Glauber
Family-Friendly Policies For Rural Working Mothers, Rebecca K. Glauber
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
For working parents, family friendly work policies like paid sick days, flexible time, or medical insurance can reduce work-family conflict and lead to less absenteeism and higher productivity. Working parents in rural America, however, have less access to these policies than their urban counterparts.
The State Of Working New Hampshire 2009, Allison Churilla
The State Of Working New Hampshire 2009, Allison Churilla
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
The issue brief finds that while New Hampshire workers have fared well compared with other New England states, wages have stagnated and full-time workers now form a smaller share of the labor force.
The Forgotten Fifth: Child Poverty In Rural America, William P. O'Hare
The Forgotten Fifth: Child Poverty In Rural America, William P. O'Hare
The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository
One in five poor children in this country lives in a rural area. Yet this group of vulnerable young Americans is seldom on the minds of the public or policy makers when they talk about child poverty in the United States. This report highlights child poverty statistics in rural America and compares them to urban areas, discussing how they are affected by family, education, employment, and the government.