Income Distribution Commons^™

Prospects Of Agricultural Entrepreneurship Among Resource Limited Farmers In The Central Appalachian Tobacco Belt, M’Kiaira Kimathi Miriti, Eric Scorsone

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

Agricultural entrepreneurship is receiving heightened attention as a potential means for economic revitalization of communities adversely affected by changes in the agricultural sector. In particular, resource limited farmers in the Appalachian region of the United States have been hit by major changes in the tobacco industry. Very little is known about resource limited farmers respond to changing industry conditions and policy attempts to remedy structural change. Recently, the Commonwealth of Kentucky has attempted to assist farmers in adopting new farmbased enterprises to expand their income base. However, it is unclear about the factors that drive entrepreneurial or diversification activities among …

Filling The Poverty Gap, Then And Now, James P. Ziliak

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

The extent to which means-tested transfers, social insurance, and tax credits fill the gap between a family’s private resources and the poverty threshold is a periodic barometer of the social safety net. Using data on families from the Current Population Survey I examine how the level and composition of before- and after-tax and after-transfer poverty gaps changed in response to changes in the policy and economic landscapes over the past two decades. The estimates presented here indicate not only dramatic changes in the level and sources of income maintenance programs filling the poverty gap, but also dramatic changes in which …

Measuring Underemployment At The County Level, Mark C. Berger, Christopher Bollinger, Paul Coomes

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

As labor markets tightened in the last half of the nineties, economic development and community leaders sought to identify more locally available workers than were indicated by published statistics. Using results from commissioned surveys, they pointed to large numbers of part-time workers who desired full-time work, and to full-time workers who were qualified for better jobs. These statistics were often used to negate low official unemployment rates that deterred firms, concerned by the ostensible shortage of workers, from locating in their counties. We have conducted a larger, statewide, survey of underemployment and linked it to the detailed demographic and labor …

Exit Routes From Welfare: Examining Barriers To Employment, Demographic And Human Capital Factors, Colleen Heflin

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

This paper investigates how barriers to employment, human capital, and demographic characteristics affect women’s exit routes off welfare. Specifically, I address two questions. First, what are the avenues through which women leave welfare? Second, are mental and physical health problems, domestic violence, and lack of access to transportation, characteristics that have been ignored in other studies of welfare dynamics, associated with different welfare exit routes? Using multinomial logistic regression and data from the Women’s Employment Survey, this project examines the specific exit route chosen in detail and goes beyond general dynamics associated with welfare exit in order to capture the …

Lower Class Mobilization And State Welfare Policy In The Era Of Welfare Reform, James M. Avery, Mark Peffley

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

The 1990s played host to the most significant changes in the American welfare system in the last fifty years— in particular, states were granted much wider latitude in deciding who is eligible to receive welfare. Taking advantage of these changes, we examine the linkage between lower class turnout and state adoption of restrictive welfare eligibility requirements after the passage of the historic welfare reform legislation of 1996. We find that in states where lower class turnout was relatively high, lawmakers were much less likely to pass a range of “get tough” welfare rules. Our findings provide novel support for the …

Poverty And Macroeconomic Performance Across Space, Race, And Family Structure, Craig Gundersen, James P. Ziliak

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

Understanding the link between poverty and economic growth is of long-standing interest, but heretofore it has not received much attention within the context of the dramatic changes in recent business-cycle conditions and social policies. In this paper we use state-level panel data from the 1981–2000 waves of the Current Population Survey to examine the impacts of the macroeconomy and welfare reform on family poverty. We estimate models of before-tax and after-tax poverty rates and squared poverty gaps for all families, by family structure, and by race. Our results indicate that a strong macroeconomy at both the state and national levels …

The Impact Of Welfare Programs On Poverty Rates: Evidence From The American States, Richard Fording, William D. Berry

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

There is spirited debate between those who maintain that public assistance to the poor decreases poverty by raising their incomes (an income enhancement effect) and those who contend that welfare increases poverty by discouraging the poor from working (a work disincentive effect). Extant studies have been inconclusive because they have focused on the effect of welfare benefits on the poverty rate, but have not employed designs that allow researchers to sort out distinct income enhancement and work disincentive effects. We develop a model of poverty rates in the American states that permits estimation of these distinct effects ñ based on …

Obesity And The Development Of Complications Across The Life Span: Is There A Relationship Between Obesity And Poverty, Mildred D. Fennal

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between the development of obesity in children ages five to ten years, and poverty (the socio-economic status of the family). Because of the associated complications of obesity such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension, this research aimed to determine if obesity, a precursor of these diseases, was related to poverty.

The rate of the development of hypertension and diabetes in children and young adults has been steadily increasing over the past ten years (Hines, Fishman, Green, 1999). Therefore, there is an urgent need for continued investigation exploring the multiple …

The Role Of Food Stamps In Consumption Stabilization, Craig Gundersen, James P. Ziliak

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

The Food Stamp Program provides assistance to households with incomes and assets below fixed thresholds. Although it is the largest entitlement program in the social safety net, little is known about the effect of food stamps on stabilizing fluctuations in household income and consumption. To estimate the volatility of income and the attendant reduction in volatility due to food stamps we use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics over 1980-1999 along with a model of income that admits permanent and transitory components as well as random growth rate heterogeneity. We then specify a model relating income changes to …

Improving The Well Being Of At-Risk Families: Exploring Clients’ Perceptions Of Preventative Services, Lenore M. Mcwey

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

Low income and working poor families are exposed to tremendous stressors, which in turn can impede their ability to care for their children (Dyk, 2004). In 2000, reports of abuse and/or neglect of over five million children were made to Child Protective Services (CPS) Agencies (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002). These families are often termed “at-risk” because of the possibility that the children could be placed in foster care. One prevention strategy used to help at-risk families is in-home family therapy. The Young Investigator Award through the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research (UKCPR) enabled me …

The Integration Of The Hispanic/Latino Immigrant Workforce State Of Nebraska Mexican American Commission Project Report, Miguel A. Carranza, Lourdes Gouveia

Latino/Latin American Studies Reports

The main purpose of the study was to explore the degree to which Latino newcomers are being effectively and positively integrated into the economic, social, and political lives and institutions of the state and local communities. The project consisted of three phases. The first was based on analysis of Census 2000 figures, government documents, media archives, and published research. The second phase developed a survey questionnaire mailed to a wide array of agencies and organizations directly or indirectly charged with integrating newcomer populations. In the third phase we conducted focus groups with newcomers and key organizations in three Nebraska communities. …

The Poverty Of Hard Work: Multiple Jobs And Low Wages In Family Economies Of Rural Utah Households, Christina E. Gringeri

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The combination of paid work and poverty, or near poverty, is a growing problem in the United States, one of which is often accentuated by residence in rural, low-wage communities where underemployment is more prevalent than in metropolitan areas. This paper examines the experiences of sixty rural families with inadequate employment using data from ethnographic interviews with a particular focus on the strategies they use to meet their family's needs in spite of low-wage work.

Trends. Colombian Rebels And Elite Interests: Rights And Wrongs On Human Rights, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses and analyzes the reactions of elites to rebel actions (e.g., human rights violations, other violent actions) in Colombia.

Residential Mobility And Youth Well-Being: Research, Policy, And Practice Issues, Edward Scanlon, Kevin Devine

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Despite an extensive body of sociological work suggesting that residential mobility reduces child well-being, the subject of relocation has been largely overlooked in social work and social welfare literature. Recent social policies threaten to increase the incidence of moving among low-income families in the United States. This paper reviews theoretical and empirical literature in this area and finds evidence that residential mobility reduces children's academic functioning, and may negatively affect other aspects of child well-being. These effects are especially strong for poor children from single parent families, making this issue of particular relevance for social work. The authors suggest implications …

Rural Out-Migration And Remittances : A Case Study Of Four Districts In Peninsular Malaysia, Chuie Hong Tan

Student Works (2000-2009)

This research report examines the socio-economic differentials of remittances in Kerian, Hilir Perak, Sabak Bemam and Rembau, using data from a based on a survey on "Consequences of Rural Depopulation on the Agricultural Communities" conducted in 1997 by a group of researchers from the University of Malaya. The survey provided a host of socio-demographic information for the detailed analyses of remittances in terms of:

• the proportion of households in the study areas that had received remittances from their migrant children and the amount received, and

• the proportion of migrant children who had sent remittances and the amount remitted. …

Poverty And Poverty Alleviation Strategies In Egypt, Ragui Assaad, Malak Rouchdy

Faculty Books

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Modernization And Dependency Explanations Of The Unequal Distribution Of Income In Developing Countries, Paul Timothy Shattuck

Dissertations and Theses

This paper tests two different theoretical explanations of the causes of the unequal distribution of income in less developed countries using data from circa 1990. There are several reasons for examining this much-studied topic. First, as described in the previous research findings chapter below, there is no consensus in the literature regarding the relative effects of modernization and dependency variables on income inequality. Determining the independent effects of the two models is still an open ended question. Second, the availability of more recent data provides us with an opportunity to check the possibility that previous findings were partly due to …

Structural Adjustment, Stabilization Policies And The Poor In Egypt, Karima Korayem

Faculty Books

Structural adjustment and stabilization agreements between Egypt and the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were signed in 1991. The two agreements are referred to as the economic reform and structural adjustment program (ERSAP). To examine the impact of ERSAP on Egypt's poor , one has to define, first, who are the poor and what is their relative share in the population. The negative impact of ERSAP on the society as a whole will be less harmful if absolute and relative poverty are small in Egypt. ERSAP affects the poor through three channels: prices, incomes, and the provision of …

Employment And Income In The Informal Sector Of The Maghreb And Mashreq Countries, Jacques Charmes

Faculty Book Chapters

[abstract not provided]

Economic And Social Change In A Village In Giza, Judy H. Brink

Faculty Book Chapters

[abstract not provided]

Changes In The Black/White Income Ratio, 1939-87, Melvin Keys

Masters Theses

The Black/white income ratio (BWIR) has increased steadily from 1939-87 for families with two incomes. Early-on, the income disparity was greatest for black females compared to black males. Because of race and sex discrimination, black females were lagging far behind society in wage differences. Today, the opposite is true, black males lag far behind black females in income: compared to their white counterparts. One of the reasons for such a large reversal in income differences maybe the opportunities that were available to black females in such occupations as teaching and nursing from 1940-75.

Migration, which looks at regional composition, was …

Basic Needs, Inflation, And The Poor Of Egypt, 1970-1980, Myrette Ahmed El Sokkari

Faculty Books

The aim of the study is to see how the poor have fared over the 1970's: to evaluate whether their welfare improved or worsened. The cost of the private consumption goods will be estimated over the period of 1970-1982 using detailed information on the cost of food, clothing, and shelter for both urban and rural areas.

Distributing Disposable Income And The Impact Of Eliminating Food Subsidies In Egypt, Karima Korayem

Faculty Books

While both papers in this issue were written on different occasions, both discuss factors relating to the standard of living of the Egyptian pop­ulation, namely, income and consumption. They, therefore are sufficiently related to comprise a single monograph. The income distribution paper shows that a large proportion of the pop­ulation falls in the relatively low income brackets. The second paper, a subject of intensive public debate at present, shows how important food sub­sidy is in keeping down the cost of living of the low-income urban popula­tion. For example, it has been found that almost one-third of the urban population devote …

Coping With Poverty In A Cairo Community, Andrea B. Rugh

Faculty Books

The monograph, a sociological study by a Western social scientist working in Egypt, on a popular quarter of Cairo. The study of the traditional quarters of the great cities of the Middle East has been a very much neglected area of research; in this monograph, bringing painstaking reseach and impressive sociological insight to bear, is our contribution towards folling the gap.

New York City And The Economic Crisis, Joseph Harris

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The crisis of New York City and the crises affecting many hundreds of other cities, counties, school districts, and other local and state governments are not accidents. They are a direct result of the neglect that social welfare receives at the hands of a government interested only in furthering the profits and position of the monopolies. Some people call the U.S. government a "warfare/welfare" state. I prefer to call it a state dominated by the giant corporations which control the economic and hence the political life of our nation. As long as federal policy continues to stress profits before people, …

An Analysis Of The Effect Of Urban Concentration And Occupational Structure On Wage Differentials Between Women And Men In Selected Geographic Divisions Of The United States, Susan Stickler Hession-Eaton

Graduate Thesis Collection

When attempting to explain the economics of occupational structure, income servies as the apex of discrimination. Women earn only 60% of what men earn. This statistic does not offend enough people since efforts to change the situation have provided only further resistance by women and men for improvement in the earnings split. Women tend to receive lower wage and salary earnings than men because of differences in types of jobs held, job training and continuity of work experience. Large numbers of women work in traditionally low-paying occupations and low-wage industries. Women tend to respond to their cultural up-bringing. My hypothesis …

Ua68/10/1 Sociological Symposium No. 5 – Pre-Adulthood Life Cycle Series, Wku Sociology

WKU Administration Documents

Table of Contents:

• Angrist, Shirley. Personality Maladjustment & Career Aspirations of College Women
• Belcher, John C. Living Arrangements of Youth
• Bregenzer, John M. Campus Dress Styles as Communication
• Longino, Charles F. Jr. Student Ecology: The Sociology of College Life
• Reed, John P. & Robin S. Reed. Profile of the Student Censor: A Research Note on Pornography
• Richard, Michel P. Encounter with Deserters
• Shostak, Arthur B. Young Adulthood in the Blue Collar Class
• Simmons, Robert H. & A. Didrick Castberg. The Political Context of Student Protest
• Stanfield, Robert E. A Typology of Student Role Orientations