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Articles 1 - 9 of 9
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Murder, Nonnegligent Manslaughter, And Spatial Autocorrelation In Mid-South Counties, F Carson Mencken
Murder, Nonnegligent Manslaughter, And Spatial Autocorrelation In Mid-South Counties, F Carson Mencken
Regional Research Institute Working Papers
In this paper we explore to what extent murder and violent crime rates in the mid-South are spatially autocorrelated with a variety of county-level spatial association measures. The analysis shows that while statistically the murder and violent crime rates in the mid-Southern counties are spatialy associated, the degree of clustering among these counties is minimal-especially when compared to clustering among the significant predictors of violent crime (percent black, female headed households, percent in poverty, etc.). The analysis has important implications as to how county violent crime rates are being modeled.
Locational Differences In The Underlying Characteristics Of Poverty, Brian Cushing, Buhong Zheng
Locational Differences In The Underlying Characteristics Of Poverty, Brian Cushing, Buhong Zheng
Regional Research Institute Working Papers
We explore how poverty differs between urban and rural areas and among U.S. regions, using metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan to proxy urban versus rural. Our study focuses on social and demographic characteristics, rather than economic characteristics. We are concerned with which personal characteristics appear to increase the risk of poverty, regardless of whether these characteristics manifest themselves through unemployment, low-wage employment, or some other economic problem that ultimately leads to poverty. Using data for the working-age population from the one percent Public Use Microdata Sample of the 1990 Census of Population and Housing, we find significant differences in predictors of …
Measuring The Impacts Of Health Care On Rural Counties: Hospitals And Clinics In Preston County, Alyse Schrecongost
Measuring The Impacts Of Health Care On Rural Counties: Hospitals And Clinics In Preston County, Alyse Schrecongost
Regional Research Institute Working Papers
Quality health care systems are important to a community’s health interests, but they also play an important role in a community’s economic vitality. This paper reviews some
contemporary challenges facing rural health care systems due to changes in the health care industry, the health insurance industry, the national economy, and reforms of social benefit
programs. Using Preston County, West Virginia as a case study, the paper illustrates the link between rural economic vitality and quality, accessible healthcare systems. Furthermore, this
paper demonstrates the need for active community involvement in local health care decisionmaking processes. It also provides a variety of …
Using Gis To Identify High Value Areas In Large Coal Resources, Thomas F. Torries, Jeffrey Kern
Using Gis To Identify High Value Areas In Large Coal Resources, Thomas F. Torries, Jeffrey Kern
Regional Research Institute Working Papers
Identifying high value areas of unmined coal when large quantities of coal are available relative to annual markets is difficult because of the uncertainty of when the coal is to be mined. A GIS based methodology developed to value reserve coal in a producing coal region for the purpose of ad valorem taxation also identifies high value areas for mining investment. The methodology is unique in that it accounts for most mining, environmental, and market factors to determine when specific properties are to be mined The methodology and database are useful for directing regional exploration and acquisition activities toward most …
High School Dropouts: Implications In The Economic Development Of West Virginia, Semoa C. B. De Sousa, Tesfa Gebremedhin
High School Dropouts: Implications In The Economic Development Of West Virginia, Semoa C. B. De Sousa, Tesfa Gebremedhin
Regional Research Institute Working Papers
An ordinary least squares (OLS) regression method was used to evaluate the relative importance of high school dropout rates and other economic factors that could explain the economic development in West Virginia, as represented by the employment rates. The empirical results revealed that an increase in the high school dropout rates and the State GDP increased the employment rates while the increase in unemployment compensation decreased employment rates. Thus, the increase in the employment rates may likely be on unskilled and low paying jobs.
Training Needs Of Affordable Housing Nonprofits: How To Develop “Better Total Management”?, G Stevenson Smith
Training Needs Of Affordable Housing Nonprofits: How To Develop “Better Total Management”?, G Stevenson Smith
Regional Research Institute Working Papers
The following report analyzes the data collected from two surveys as that data relates to the training needs of affordable housing non profits (AHN). The first survey was administered in March to nonprofit managers attending a seminar in Charleston. The second survey is a collection of audio taped phone interviews with the executive directors of 28 AHNs conducted in July. The purpose of both surveys was to collect data about the training needs of AHNs in the State of West Virginia. In addition the first survey collected background information about business practices, funding sources, and computer/software usage. Although the first …
A Multi-Sector Export Base Model Of Long-Run Regional Economic Growth, Brian Lego, Tesfa Gebremedhin, Brian Cushing
A Multi-Sector Export Base Model Of Long-Run Regional Economic Growth, Brian Lego, Tesfa Gebremedhin, Brian Cushing
Regional Research Institute Working Papers
The relationships between intersectoral export and local employment and regional economic growth are analyzed in a long-run equilibrium framework. Dynamic location quotients decompose regional employment into export and local components for multiple sectors. Johansen’s Full-Information Maximum Likelihood (FIML) approach is used to identify the existence and resultant rank of the co-integrating relationship between sectoral export and local employment in West Virginia’s four metropolitan areas. Empirical results indicate inter-sectoral basic and non-basic employment form a co-integrating system of equations. Furthermore, this analysis shows that inter-sector shocks to local and export employment may cause multipliers to be positive or negative in magnitude.
The Origins Of Devolution: A Speculative Note, Scott Loveridge
The Origins Of Devolution: A Speculative Note, Scott Loveridge
Regional Research Institute Working Papers
Why is devolution gaining strength both in the United States and in other highly developed countries? This note looks at broad social and economic trends that may be contributing to the movement toward more local control of government operations. Among the points discussed are: the end of the cold war; the information age, the booming economy, the increasing globalization of the economy, the rise of the south; and society’s increased understanding of environmental issues. A concluding section comments on what it all means for regional scientists.
Locating Gender In Rural Economic Networks, Ann M. Oberhauser
Locating Gender In Rural Economic Networks, Ann M. Oberhauser
Regional Research Institute Working Papers
In recent decades, increasing entrepreneurial activities among women have contributed to shifting livelihood strategies at the household, community, and regional scales. In this paper I examine home based work in an economic network to highlight the intersection of gender and economic practices in rural Appalachia. The research demonstrates that these livelihood strategies both construct and are shaped by dynamic material conditions and social processes in place. Economic restructuring in the central Appalachian region has led to the reworking of economic strategies, despite a continued reliance by households on homework and informal activities. The case study for this project as an …