Sociology Commons^™

U.S. Population Growth Slows, But Diversity Grows, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, author Kenneth Johnson reports that in 2019 the U.S. population grew at the lowest rate in a century because there were fewer births, more deaths, and less immigration. Fertility rates diminished regardless of race or Hispanic origin and immigration declines were also widespread. As a result, the growth rate of both the minority and non-Hispanic White population diminished. Yet, the racial diversity of the population continued to grow, according to Census Bureau estimates released on June 25, 2020.

This increasing diversity reflects two important demographic trends. The minority population is growing, and the non-Hispanic White population is …

What Do We Know About What To Do With Dams? How Knowledge Shapes Public Opinion About Their Removal In New Hampshire, Simone Chapman, Catherine M. Ashcraft, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Kevin H. Gardner

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Simone Chapman, Catherine Ashcraft, Lawrence Hamilton, and Kevin Gardner report the results of an October 2018 Granite State Poll that asked 607 New Hampshire residents how much they have heard, and their thoughts, concerning the question of whether older dams on New Hampshire rivers should be removed for ecological or safety reasons, or whether the dams should be kept.

Most people admitted they have not heard or read about this issue, but at the same time they agreed that dams could be removed in at least some cases. The more people heard or read about the …

The Benefits And Barriers To Living In Coös County, New Hampshire: Perceptions Of The Region From Emerging Adults, Kristine Bundschuh

Carsey Publications

In this report, author Kristine Bundschuh identifies the benefits and barriers that emerging adults, age 18–25, perceive as they make the decision to stay in, leave, or return to Coös County, New Hampshire. The main draws to living in Coös are its family and community support systems. Those with local professional and educational plans, or who have purchased a home locally, experience additional benefits. Some emerging adults say they would live in Coös if it provided the employment opportunities, diverse communities, and amenities they seek.

When To Make The Sensory Social: Registering In Face-To-Face Openings, Danielle M. Pillet-Shore

Faculty Publications

This article analyzes naturally occurring video-recorded openings during which participants make the sensory social through the action of registering—calling joint attention to a selected, publicly perceiv- able referent so others shift their sensory attention to it. It examines sequence-initial actions that register referents for which a participant is regarded as responsible. Findings demonstrate a systematic preference organization which observably guides when and how people initiate registering sequences sensitive to ownership of, and displayed stance toward, the target referent. Analysis shows how registering an owned referent achieves intersubjectivity and puts involved participants’ face, affiliation, and social relationship on the line. A …

U.S. Fertility Rates And Births Continue To Diminish, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, author Kenneth Johnson discusses new National Center for Health Statistics data for 2019 that show the lowest fertility rates on record and just 3,746,000 births—the fewest since 1985. There were 570,000 fewer births in 2019 than in 2007, just before the Great Recession began to influence births. As fertility rates begin to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and its economic aftermath, a critical question is: how many of these births will be delayed, and how many will be foregone entirely? This has implications for health care, schools, child-related businesses, and eventually for the labor force.

Innovation In Food Access Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered income losses and rising demand for food-related support, while social distancing requirements have complicated access to usual nutrition support sites. In response, government agencies, private retailers, nonprofit organizations, and volunteer networks are undertaking innovative efforts to ensure food access by vulnerable populations. By highlighting strategies that are unfolding in real time, this brief shares an array of potential approaches for private, public, and nonprofit stakeholders to use in deploying their resources.

Trusting Scientists More Than The Government: New Hampshire Perceptions Of The Pandemic, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Thomas G. Safford

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Lawrence Hamilton and Thomas Safford report that despite a dramatic increase in the incidence of COVID-19, and an evolving government response, there was no significant change between surveys taken in mid-March and mid-April in the shares of New Hampshire residents who reported they were making “major changes” in their daily routines, had low confidence in the federal government’s response, or expressed trust in information from science agencies.

Pirc Spring 2020 Newsletter, Prevention Innovations Research Center

PIRC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

An Older Population Increases Estimated Covid-19 Death Rates In Rural America, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, author Kenneth Johnson estimates the influence that the local age structure has on coronavirus death rates among those exposed to it in rural and urban counties in the United States. He reports that the older age structure of rural America increases its vulnerability to the coronavirus. Though rural exposure to the virus was limited early in the pandemic, it is now spreading rapidly there. Rural America’s older age structure increases expected mortality rates there, but other factors also influence its vulnerability to the virus. The fates of rural and urban America are inextricably intertwined, so responding to …

Rural Areas With Seasonal Homes Hit Hard By Covid-19, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, author Jess Carson finds that rural counties where at least 25 percent of the housing units are for seasonal use are hit especially hard by COVID-19 compared with urban and other kinds of rural counties.

Views Of A Fast-Moving Pandemic: A Survey Of Granite Staters’ Responses To Covid-19, Thomas G. Safford, Lawrence C. Hamilton

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Thomas Safford and Lawrence Hamilton report the results of a Granite State Panel survey (March 17-26), asking New Hampshire residents about their views concerning government responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and whether they changed their daily routine because of the pandemic. They report that New Hampshire residents who approve of President Trump’s handling of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and those who regularly watch Fox News are less likely than others to have made major changes in their routines due to COVID-19. Granite Staters have polarized opinions about President Trump’s handling of the pandemic: 40 …

Mapping State Unemployment, Michael P. Ettlinger, Jordan Hensley

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, authors Michael Ettlinger and Jordan Hensley report the relative level of initial unemployment claims for the week ending March 28 as a share of the labor force, and the “insured unemployment” as a share of the February labor force for the week ending March 21. Hawaii, Michigan, and Pennsylvania top the list of initial unemployment claims.

The Poverty-Reducing Effects Of The Eitc And Other Safety Nets For Young Adult Parents, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, Jess Carson explores the poverty-reducing effects of key federal safety net programs among 18-24 year old (“young adult”) parents. An estimated 2.5 million very young children live with a young adult parent, with low-income children especially likely to do so. The brief finds that more than four in five young adult parents, regardless of income, participate in at least one major safety net program. Of these, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is the most widely used and the most effective at reducing poverty under the Supplemental Poverty Measure, and poverty would increase by 6.7 percentage points …

Deaths Exceeded Births In Nearly Half Of U.S. Counties Last Year, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, author Kenneth Johnson reports that even before the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, deaths were at a record high in the United States last year, but there were the fewest births since 1986. Between July 2018 and July 2019, the surplus of births over deaths was the least in more than 50 years. As a result, more people died than were born in 46 percent of U.S. counties last year. Because of this smaller surplus of births over deaths and diminished immigration, the U.S. population grew by just 0.48 percent last year—the lowest population growth rate …

Free And Reduced-Price Lunch Eligibility By New Hampshire State Legislative District, Sarah Boege, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Sarah Boege and Jessica Carson translate New Hampshire free and reduced-price lunch eligibility data from the school level to the state House of Representatives legislative district level so that legislators have another resource for understanding the distribution of low-income families across the state and the extent to which child nutrition programs are especially relevant in their districts. They report that although the distribution of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch (FRPL) across the state follows established patterns of child and family poverty, there is significant variation by House legislative district. The House district with the …

Distribution Of New Hampshire’S Older Population Complicates Health Care Delivery During Coronavirus Epidemic, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, author Kenneth Johnson discusses the uneven spatial distribution of New Hampshire’s older population and suggests that it may complicate the delivery of health care to the state’s population during the COVID-19 epidemic. Older adults are much more likely to experience serious health consequences as a result of exposure to COVID-19. Thus, access to health care is of critical importance for older adults. Though most older adults reside in southern New Hampshire, seniors make up a larger proportion of the population in sparsely settled northern New Hampshire.

Eelgrass Health Survey And Results, Nicholas B. Anderson, Catherine M. Ashcraft, Dante D. Torio, Frederick T. Short

Natural Resources & the Environment

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire designed, tested, and conducted an eelgrass health survey. The primary goal of the survey was to collect health ratings from respondents who had viewed pre-selected images of eelgrass representing a wide range of health conditions. Survey results were used as a calibration and validation to a novel eelgrass health index developed using video-monitoring. Two secondary goals of this this survey were the identification of plant-specific and environmental characteristics important to respondents and the introduction of the new eelgrass health index. This published dataset includes de-identified survey respondent background and demographic data, the survey …

Pirc Newsletter, Winter 2020, Prevention Innovations Research Center

PIRC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

New Hampshire Population Grew Last Year, Even Though Deaths Exceeded Births, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, author Kenneth Johnson reports the population of New Hampshire grew by 6,200 to 1,360,000 between July of 2018 and July of 2019 according to new Census Bureau estimates. The state’s population increased even though there were fewer births than deaths in the state last year. Migration from other U.S. destinations accounted for most of the state’s population gain. In a state where deaths now exceed births, migration is critical to New Hampshire’s future.

Gay Male Speech And Dialects In Motion: Constructing Linguistic Identity In Southern New Hampshire, Hayden P. Stinson

Honors Theses and Capstones

The study of gay male speech has largely focused on fundamental frequency and various quantifiable aspects of /s/ (Campbell-Kibler 2012, Mack and Munson 2012, Munson 2007, Zimman 2013). In a study of the speech of three gay men from California, however, Podesva (2011) concludes that gay men may utilize salient aspects of regional dialects to express their gayness. The stylistic correlation between gayness and certain regional dialects supports Eckert’s (2008) argument that linguistic styles are centered around ideologies, rather than rigid categorical identities and Podesva (2011) urges that this phenomenon be studied further. Southern New Hampshire provides an ideal landscape …

Unh Students’ Attitudes Toward University Of New Hampshire Police, Angela R. Hurley

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study examines undergraduate students from the University of New Hampshire attitudes towards campus police, specifically how student experience with campus police affects their attitudes toward them. There were a total of 113 respondents from the University of New Hampshire that answered an online survey. The survey looked specifically at the relationship between students' experience and attitudes towards UNH police, hypothesizing that students who had perceived fair encounters with campus police would be more likely to contact them in an emergency and have more positive attitudes toward them . Multivariate analysis shows perceptions of witnessing an interaction and being approached …

First In The Nation: New Hampshire’S Changing Electorate In Changing Times, Kenneth M. Johnson, Dante Scala, Andrew Smith

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Kenneth Johnson, Dante Scala, and Andrew Smith discuss demographic forces that are reshaping the New Hampshire landscape. They report that more than 20 percent of potential voters in the 2020 New Hampshire primary were either not old enough to vote in 2016 or resided somewhere other than New Hampshire. New Hampshire has one of the most mobile populations in the nation. Only one-third of New Hampshire residents age 25 and older were born in the state. Democratic presidential primary turnout in New Hampshire may hit record highs in 2020. Republican turnout, in contrast, is likely to …

For One In Four Very Young, Low-Income Children, Parents Are Young Too, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, author Jessica Carson maps the distribution of children living with young adult parents, describes their parents’ characteristics, and details ways to strengthen policy supports that can fortify their families’ ability to succeed. She reports that while fewer than 5 percent of children live with young adult parents (age 18–24), the share among children age 0–3 is 16 percent, and among low-income children that age, it is 25 percent. Low-income young adult parents have different characteristics than their older counterparts; for example, they are more often parenting their first child with no co-parent present, and they have higher …

New Hampshire Demographic Trends In An Era Of Economic Turbulence, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, author Kenneth Johnson reports that New Hampshire gained 40,000 residents (a 3 percent increase) between 2010 and 2018, and the population reached 1,356,458 on July 1, 2018, according to the Census Bureau. Population gains in New Hampshire have diminished over time, though growth has recently picked up. Migration is the biggest driver of population change, and the pattern of demographic change is uneven across the state. New Hampshire’s population is aging and becoming more racially diverse, particularly among children. Johnson notes that, although New Hampshire is a relatively small player on the nation’s huge demographic stage, there …

Pirc News, Prevention Innovations Research Center

PIRC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Facial Recognition And Drivers’ Licenses: Should The Dmv Share Your Photo?, Daniel Bromberg, Étienne Charbonneau, Andrew Smith

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Daniel Bromberg, Étienne Charbonneau, and Andrew Smith present the findings of a 2017 Granite State Poll asking New Hampshire residents how they feel about the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) sharing their driver’s license photos with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Currently 21 states, though not New Hampshire, share DMV data with the FBI in support of its effort to build a massive database of over 400 million photos to which it applies facial recognition technology. The authors report that about 70 percent of Granite Staters support the state DMV sharing photos with the FBI …

Child Poverty Declines Slightly In 2018 To 18 Percent, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, author Jessica Carson reports that according to analyses of new American Community Survey data released today, nearly one-in-five American children were poor in 2018. While child poverty has finally returned to pre-recession rates, the 0.4 percentage point decline since 2017 continues the trend of incremental decreases in child poverty since the post-recession peak in 2012.

Tracking Change In The North Country: Paths To The Future Of Coös County, Eleanor M. Jaffee

Carsey Publications

From 2008 through 2018, the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation partnered with the Carsey School of Public Policy (formerly the Carsey Institute) at the University of New Hampshire for a research project titled Tracking Change in the North Country. In this brief, author Eleanor Jaffee summarizes several major products of this research partnership and considers how they may inform future directions for North Country policy and programming.

“My Advice…Is Get Out Of Town”: Economic Opportunities And Population Composition In Two Rural Counties, Marybeth Mattingly, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Beth Mattingly and Jess Carson explore how rural residents’ efforts to make ends meet are shaped by the economic and population characteristics of their communities. The authors use qualitative data from interviews and focus groups with low-income residents and social service providers in two rural New England communities to understand strategies for making ends meet in rural places. Although one county draws wealthy retirees, and the other is remote and losing population, low-income workers in both communities struggle to make ends meet. The authors find that rural residents often work multiple formal or informal jobs, and …

Summer 2019 Pirc Newsletter, Prevention Innovations Research Center

PIRC Newsletter

No abstract provided.