Sociology Commons^™

Migration Sustains New Hampshire’S Population Gain: Examining The Origins Of Recent Migrants, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, Senior Demographer Kenneth Johnson reports that New Hampshire’s population continued to grow in 2021 and 2022 because a migration gain of 18,300 was enough to offset the excess of deaths over births. More people died (28,700) than were born (24,900) in New Hampshire in the past two years. Covid certainly contributed to this loss, but annual deaths already exceeded births in the state for several years before the pandemic.

Recently released Census data underscore the mobility of New Hampshire’s population and provide insights into the origin of the migrants to the state. Only 41 percent of the …

A Descriptive Study Of Covid-Era Movers To The Northern Forest Region: "The Perfect Balance Of Things...A Choice Based On Lifestyle, Community, And Values", Jess Carson, Sarah Boege, Libby Schwaner

Carsey Publications

The Northern Forest—a 34-county swath of northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York—saw an increase in domestic migration during the pandemic, with 85 percent of the region’s counties experiencing domestic in-migration gains between 2020 and 2021, compared with 63 percent of counties in the rest of the United States. Who moved to the Northern Forest region, and why? Do they intend to stay? And what does that mean for those who already lived there?

In this research brief, authors Jess Carson, Sarah Boege, and Libby Schwaner share findings from interviews with 16 such movers (and six regional real estate …

New Englanders' Use Of Child Care Varies By Income, Even Among Working Households, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, author Jess Carson reports that data from the U.S. Census Bureau collected between January and May 2023 show that access to child care remains uneven. Among New England households with a child under age five, 71.1 percent had used at least some child care in the past seven days. However, lower-income households are less likely to use care than higher-income households. While child care use is more prevalent among low-income households with a working adult, rates are still below those in high-income households. Findings suggest that in low-income New England households, access to early care opportunities­­—as …

New England Households Rely On A Mix Of Child Care Arrangements, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, author Jess Carson reports that data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau between January and May 2023 show that 70 percent of New England households with a child under five use child care, and more than one-third of those rely on multiple arrangements. Findings suggest that even having access to a formal slot in center- or home-based care may not be sufficient for meeting families’ needs. Finding the right type and mix of care is complex and underscores the need for flexible and diverse child care options for New England families.

Three Years Of Record High Mortality And Low Fertility Leave Many States With More Deaths Than Births, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, Senior Demographer Kenneth Johnson reports that with Covid-induced mortality at record highs and continuing low fertility during the past three years, U.S. births exceeded deaths by the smallest margin in more than a century. Such widespread natural decline is unprecedented. At least 22 states had a natural decline in each of the three pandemic years. Prior to the pandemic, the most states with more deaths than births in a year was 5 in 2019. There will be fewer states with more deaths than births in 2023 if the recent reductions in Covid deaths persist. But many …

U.S. Births Remain Near 40-Year Low For Third Consecutive Year, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, Senior Demographer Kenneth Johnson reports that recent National Center for Health Statistics birth data indicate there were only 3,661,000 births in 2022, compared to 3,664,000 in 2021, and just 3,614,000 in 2020. These three birth cohorts are the smallest in 40 years and continue a birth decline that began in the era of the Great Recession. The long-term impact of the fertility decline has been substantial. Had 2007 fertility patterns been sustained through 2022, there would have been 9.6 million more births in the last 15 years. A critical long-term question is: how many of these …

Permanent Supportive Housing As A Solution To Homelessness, Antonio Serna

Carsey Publications

Homelessness in the United States has grown into a crisis, and those with disabling conditions, such as a physical disability, substance use disorders, or behavioral/mental health disorders, are disproportionately at risk. Prior research in Boston found that in three-quarters of shelter stays in the city between 2014 and 2018, the person was recorded as having a disability. The susceptibility of this group to homelessness and chronic homelessness is partly because disabilities correlate with lower incomes and job insecurity, which pose a challenge to maintaining long-term housing. It is for this reason that permanent supportive housing (PSH)—housing that is paired with …

Retaining Residents Is Important To New Hampshire's Future: Why Do People Stay?, Kristine Bundschuh, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

A key factor impacting New Hampshire’s demographic and economic success is retaining and growing its population. What motivates people to move to New Hampshire is important to the state’s future and garners considerable policy attention. Much less consideration is given to retaining current residents. Yet on average, nearly 1.3 million New Hampshire residents do not migrate into or out of the state in a given year. Understanding why those residents stay in New Hampshire can be an important element of the state’s comprehensive development strategy.

In this brief, authors Kristine Bundschuh and Kenneth Johnson discuss the results of NH Granite …

Population Gains Widespread In New Hampshire Counties Due To Migration, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, Senior Demographer Kenneth Johnson reports that the population of New Hampshire grew by 17,700 to 1,395,000 between April 2020, when the 2020 Census was conducted, and July 2022, according to new Census Bureau estimates. These population gains were widespread, occurring in each of the state’s ten counties despite deaths exceeding births in nine of the ten counties. The entire population gain accrued because 21,600 more people moved to the state than left it. The data underscore the continuing importance of migration to the state’s future. Such migration gains result both from attracting migrants to the state …

New Census Data Reflect The Continuing Impact Of Covid On U.S. Demographic Trends, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, Senior Demographer Kenneth Johnson reports that, according to recent Census Bureau estimates, the U.S. population has grown at the slowest rate in history in the past two years due to the impact of Covid. Deaths exceeded births in 75 percent of all U.S. counties, far more than at any point in the past. Most of the modest population gain was due to migration, and its extent varied along the rural-urban continuum. Looking ahead, the size and distribution of future population gains remain uncertain. As the impact of the pandemic wanes, the excess of births over deaths is …

Supportive Program Strengths And Gaps For New Hampshire Families: "Just Enough Money To Barely Pay For Most Things", Sarah Boege, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Sarah Boege and Jess Carson describe child and family program use and gaps among respondents to the 2022 New Hampshire Preschool Development Grant Family Needs Assessment Survey. Parents with children under age nine were asked about programs to help meet family food needs and to support child development and education. The authors find that nearly half of parent respondents used at least one of the programs in question, with the National School Lunch Program having the widest reach. Responding parents were generally familiar with food assistance programs, but less familiar with child development and education programs. …

New Hampshire Parents Use Child Care But Seek More Options, Jess Carson, Sarah Boege

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Jess Carson and Sarah Boege describe child care use and gaps among respondents to the 2022 New Hampshire Preschool Development Grant Family Needs Assessment Survey. The authors report that three-quarters of responding parents with children under age five had searched for child care in the past 12 months; half reported that their search was difficult, with a lack of openings as the main challenge. Despite these difficulties, three-quarters of respondents with young children reported using some form of regular child care. However, four out of five parents who used care rated their child care arrangement as …

Local Civic Health: A Guide To Building Community And Bridging Divides, Quixada Moore-Vissing, Carrie Portrie, Michele Holt-Shannon, Bruce L. Mallory, Jess Carson, Daniel Bromberg, Sarah Boege, Carly Prescott, Steph Mcnally, Mikayla Townsend

Carsey Publications

In the same way that doctors conduct an annual check-up to assess our health, we can collect information to assess the civic health of our communities. Civic health includes factors such as how much people trust each other, show up at public meetings, get involved, vote, and help out neighbors.

This seven-part guide is designed to help people at the local level collect data to better understand what factors bring people together or push them apart. This information can help communities to thrive and strengthen democracy at the local level.

The guide includes exercises around mapping the different populations who …

Why Interstate Child Care Scholarship Policy Choices Matter In The Upper Valley: "You Can Only Charge The Families So Much", Sarah Boege, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, the authors explore how state-level decisions in New Hampshire and Vermont manifest in the early childhood education and care sector, through the lens of the interstate Upper Valley region. They demonstrate the significant differences in the reach and adequacy of child care financial assistance programs (“child care scholarships”) across state lines, with Vermont’s program setting family income eligibility thresholds higher and delivering higher-value reimbursements to child care providers than New Hampshire’s program. While scholarships are key for widening low-income families’ access to high quality care, they are not a panacea. Not all eligible families participate in child …

Changing Child Care Supply In New Hampshire And Vermont’S Upper Valley, Jess Carson, Sarah Boege

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Jess Carson and Sarah Boege describe changes in the early childhood education and care landscape of Grafton and Sullivan Counties in New Hampshire and Orange and Windsor Counties in Vermont, collectively known as the Upper Valley. The authors find that the Upper Valley lost 25 regulated child care providers serving children under age 5 between 2017 and 2021. However, with closure rates twice as high among family-based providers than among center-based providers and some new providers opening, the net number of slots has remained relatively stable (5,169 slots in 2021). The overall effect has been to …

Child Care Investments And Policies In The Upper Valley, In The Pandemic And Beyond: “People Have To Hurry Because This Arpa Funding Isn’T Going To Last Forever”, Sarah Boege, Jess Carson, Kamala Nasirova

Carsey Publications

In this brief, the authors illustrate New Hampshire and Vermont’s different responses to supporting the early childhood education and care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the limited publicly available data on pandemic relief funds through the lens of the interstate Upper Valley region. While data limitations preclude the authors from identifying which child care pandemic relief programs worked best and for whom, the authors find spatial and program type differences in relief receipt. Using data from interviews with early childhood educators in the Upper Valley, the authors identify the role that temporary relief funds have played in keeping …

Institutional Grantmaking To New Hampshire Nonprofits, Jess Carson, Alison Moore

Carsey Publications

In 2019, the New Hampshire Funders Forum contacted the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire for support in creating an inaugural report on institutional grantmaking in the state. After initial exploration raised questions about the comprehensiveness of existing data sources, the Funders Forum commissioned Carsey to develop an alternate approach utilizing original tax filings to create the most accurate and comprehensive portrait of institutional grantmaking in the state available. This report represents the culmination of that effort and is intended to provide a baseline description of institutional grantmakers that support New Hampshire nonprofits for members …

The Recent U.S. Population Growth Rate Increased From Last Year's Record Low, But Remains Below Historical Levels, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, Carsey Senior Demographer Kenneth Johnson reports that the U.S. population grew by just 1,256,000 between July of 2021 and July of 2022, according to new Census Bureau estimates. This was an increase from the record low growth of the preceding year, but it remains well below historical rates. There were just 245,000 more births than deaths in the past year, an increase from the 144,000 in the previous year, but still the second smallest natural gain in 80 years. Deaths reached a record high of 3,443,000 last year, 20 percent more than three years ago. In …

Societal Factors Enabling Increased Rates Of Sexual Victimization Within Greek-Life, Erica Stroheker

Perspectives

Throughout this literature review, I will be discussing sexual victimization rates among students who are affiliated with Greek life. I will attempt to answer whether Greek affiliation correlates with higher sexual victimization rates among female students. I will additionally identify if and how college institutions enable sexual victimization rates. This literature review aims to identify a correlation between sexual victimization and Greek life. Along with using socialist feminism theory to understand sexual victimization, this literature review will also discuss terms such as token resistance, rape myth acceptance, and sexual scripts. In reviewing evidence from past studies and literature reviews, I …

The Effects Of Film Viewing On Young Adults’ Perceptions On Love And Intimacy, Leia Krans

Perspectives

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Marijuana Policy And Prejudice Regarding Adult Black Americans, Caitlin Turner

Perspectives

Marijuana policy has been a crucial debate for many years in America. Even with the legalization of marijuana in many states, Black people are still being arrested at an unjustified rate in contrast to white people. These differences have led to the overrepresentation of Black people incarcerated for this low-level crime as a direct result of the aftermath of the War on Drugs. This paper will analyze the effects of the overcriminalization of marijuana, more specifically among Black people. It will question the extent of marijuana policy on the outcomes of Black people versus white people and will discuss what …

The Importance Of A Supportive School Climate On The Mental Health Of Sexual And Gender Minority Students, Ila Bartenstein

Perspectives

In the past decade, adolescent mental health has become a prominent issue in America. Specifically, rates of mental illness among sexual and gender minority adolescents are increasing at rates higher than those of cisgender-heterosexual adolescents. As this issue has progressed, much literature has placed focus on the different stressors that may cause and exacerbate it. Through the lens of minority stress theory, this literature review seeks to understand how the factors that construct a school climate act as stressors on the mental health of LGBTQ+ students. After a brief introduction to this topic, there will be discussion on the social …

Gender Identity And Academic Confidence Across College Major Fields, Sophie Goodwin

Perspectives

This study aimed to measure college students’ sense of personal efficacy and sense of belonging among various majors, specifically concerning the differences across gender identities. The findings thus indicate whether gender experience and norms impact some majors more than others, demonstrating how a history of male domination in certain fields can be internalized on a population level. A total of 300 respondents from a large public university in the northeast United States completed an online survey. In this survey, questions pertaining to self-reported gender identity; school of the respondent’s major, such as life sciences or liberal arts; and agreement with …

Christian Nationalism In Support For Donald Trump, Anna Maccaroni

Perspectives

This literature review aims to understand Donald Trump’s contradictory and overwhelming support from Christians and especially white evangelicals, considering his public display of non-religious behaviors. Further, this literature review explores the association between Christianity and the Republican party throughout America’s political history, drawing on instances such as Proposition 187 and Donald Trump’s travel ban to display that white evangelicals are motivated to support Trump because of their fear of becoming a minority. These ideas are related to Christian nationalistic ideologies, reflecting that a main supporter of Donald Trump is Christian Nationalism. From a sociological understanding, this literature review analyzes how …

Does Having Immigrant Parents Affect One’S Use Of Academic Resources?, Sophia Lucas

Perspectives

Almost one-third of the U.S. student population consists of students with immigrant families. This study aimed to analyze whether there were differences in how students with immigrant parents and students without immigrant parents navigate the college system. This was done by specifically looking at parental nativity status (within the U.S. or not) and the use of academic resources on campus. It was performed through a convenience sample of a large North Eastern college and yielded a sample of 300 students. The study hypothesized that students who are first-generation-born were less likely to use academic resources. The majority of respondents were …

Do Images Of The Male Body Within Advertising Impact Male Body Image?, Rachel Obray

Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Mental Health In Collegiate Student-Athletes Vs. Non-Student-Athletes, Noah Stansbury

Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Too Fast Of Fashion: A Literature Review On The Destructive Social And Environmental Impacts Of Fast Fashion, Grace Webster

Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Experiences In 2021 For Adults With Disabilities Who Are Lgbt, Debra Brucker, Chris Surfus, Megan Henly

Faculty Publications

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s weekly Household Pulse Survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (July 21, 2021 – October 11, 2021), this study examines the prevalence of anxiety, worry, loss of interest and depression, receipt of mental health treatment, and self-reported unmet need for mental health treatment among adults with and without disabilities by lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) status. Controlling for age, educational attainment, employment, health insurance coverage, and race/ethnicity, adults with disabilities, regardless of LGBT status, had statistically significantly increased odds of anxiety, worry, loss of interest and depression, receipt of mental health treatment, and …

Depersonalizing Troubles In Institutional Interaction: Routinizing In Parent-Teacher Conferences, Danielle M. Pillet-Shore

Faculty Publications

This article advances our understanding of institutional interaction by showing when and how it can be advantageous for professionals to treat addressed-recipients as non-unique. Examining how teachers talk about children-as-students during parent-teacher conferences, this investigation illuminates several specific interactional methods that teachers use to depersonalize the focal student’s trouble, delineating as among these the novel practice of “routinizing”—citing firsthand experience with other similar cases. Analysis demonstrates how teachers use routinizing to enact their expertise, both responsively as a vehicle for attenuating and credentialing their advice-giving to parents/caregivers, and proactively to preempt parent/caregiver resistance to their student-assessments/evaluations. This research …