Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons^™

Absentee Voting & Expanding Electoral Participation, Alyse Marie Frederick

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

If liberalization of absentee voting has the ability to increase voter turnout, then it is significant to distinguish what demographics an absentee voter is most likely to be a part of. In the United States an individuals’ right to vote absentee is regulated by the state. Therefore, not every state in the United States grants their residents the choice to vote absentee. Initially, absentee voting was established as a means to allow soldiers displaced by war to participate in voting. Over time disabled citizens were granted the right to apply to vote absentee. Eventually, many states began to liberalize eligibility …

Post Obama: Discrimination Toward African Americans Remains A Major Problem In America, Mackenzie Carl

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This paper explores the issue of racial views within the United States, particularly after the election and reelection of Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. The goal of this project is to determine if racial tension and resentment has either increased or decreased due to the election of a black President as well as determining if party identification is a predictor of racial resentment. By delving into the scholarly literature as well as looking into the public’s opinion, it is revealed that racial tension and resentment has actually increased within America, especially within the white population. Different forms of racism …

Who Do You Trust?: An Analysis Of Public Perception Towards Government, Pilar Fabregas

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This paper will discuss how the American people’s trust in their government can vary depending on different sociopolitical factors, and how the government could take advantage of this information. Through extensive research of literature reviews on previous findings as well as analysis of 2012 ANES data, I discover that the American public responds negatively to their government with an increased perception of corruption and overall disregard to the needs of the people. I will also add to the common literature by utilizing other scholarly works that demonstrate how these explanations behind distrust in government can be used to potentially improve …

The Dream Of The Theatre Is Alive In Portland: The Potential Of A New Company To Succeed, Amaya Santamaria

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

According to the 2013 census there are approximately 609,456 people living in Portland, Oregon. There is no demographic data tabulated for 2013, however a look at the 2010 statistics can help paint a picture of Portland and its racial and educational make up. That year, 76.1% of people identified as “white alone.” The African American population constituted 6.3% and the Hispanic 9.4%. While it is true that, typically, Caucasian audiences make up the majority of theatre attendees, perhaps more telling are the statistics regarding education. In Portland, 43.1% of people hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to the 29.2% …

Why Youth Voters Have Lower Participation, Christine Lathrop, Shaia Araghi

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The turnout rate for young adults in elections succeeding 1964 has significantly diminished. This derives as a result of the methods that the candidates use to reach out to young voters, the agenda being debated or the political climate at the time accompanied by the feeling of political efficacy. This research project delves into the major reasons behind why there has been a low voter turnout rate, that being under fifty percent of those in this age category, for young adults, those being 18 – 24, in presidential elections. This particularly investigates the reasoning for the 2012 election being such …

Hong Kong Happiness Index Survey 2014, Lok Sang Ho

Hong Kong Happiness Index 香港快樂指數調查

According to the results of the Hong Kong Happiness Index Survey conducted by Lingnan University’s Centre for Public Policy Studies, the Happiness Index for Hong Kong people in 2014 stands at 70.5 (on a scale of 0 to 100), which is the same as last year. The survey outcome is an unexpected one taking into account the current social and political controversies in Hong Kong.

Respondents' degree of satisfaction with quality of public policy rose to 4.34 (on a scale of 0 to 10) from last year’s 4.14. Satisfaction with living environment rose to 5.95 from last year’s 5.75, while …

Hispanic Entrepreneurship In Nebraska: Trends And Economic Profile, Lissette Aliaga-Linares

Latino/Latin American Studies Policy Briefs

The growth of the Hispanic population in Nebraska was accompanied by a significant increase in Hispanic entrepreneurship at the beginning of the 2000s. From 2002 to 2007, the 3,065 Hispanic-owned businesses constituted a small but dynamic and resilient segment of business growth in the state. Did participation in self-employment decrease for Hispanics after the economic crisis of 2008? What are the characteristics of Hispanic-owned businesses and Hispanics business-owners in Nebraska? Do some of these characteristics reveal social or economic barriers that could prevent these businesses from succeeding?

Layers Of Home: Dharamsala And The Changing Home Of Tibetans, Lydia Talen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

McLeod Ganj, a major suburb of Dharamsala, has been the home of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile for the past 54 years. The arrival of His Holiness caused a surge of development in McLeod Ganj. My independent study project studies the resulting changes in the physical infrastructure, the way people use space in McLeod Ganj and whether Tibetans perceive McLeod Ganj as their home. I hope to further understand the complexity and fluidity of the idea of home, specifically for Tibetan refugees, through the examination of physical changes in McLeod Ganj.

The Significance Of Comunidade Sabiaguaba Within The Developing City Of Fortaleza, Ce, Katherine Davis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The city of Fortaleza, Ceará has experienced rapid population growth and development over the last century, especially concentrated in the last fifty years. Today, this growth results in the creation of a beautiful tourist destination that many wish to visit, but also a dangerous and unequal city in which many have to live. Many state planners view this growth in infrastructure and tourism as the solution for the economic hardships of Fortaleza. However, many residents are unsatisfied with this development plan, and feel that there is a disconnect between the needs of the people and the plans of the state. …

¿Cómo Amigos Comparten La Salud? Las Redes Sociales Y Factores De Riesgo. / How Do Friends Share Health? Social Networks And Risk Factors., Joanna Emerson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research question: How are health risk factors shared between people by means of their social networks? Objectives: The main objective of the study is to determine the correlation between a person's social network and which health risk factors are most prevalent in network members. The first specific objective is to evaluate the rates of the most common risk factors in social networks and how these disperse throughout the network. The second is to analyze whether people with similar health risk factors have similar social tendencies. The final objective is to identify the risk factors most transmittable through social networks. Background: …

Premature Births And Maternal Health: An Analysis Of Risk Factors That Affect The Rate Of Prematurity / Los Nacimientos Prematuros Y La Salud Materna: Un Análisis De Los Factores De Riesgo Que Afecta La Tasa De Prematuridad, Alexandria Mickler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: What are the major socio-demographic risk factors influencing the rate of preterm birth in Valparaiso, Chile? Objectives: The objective of this study is to identify risk factors that influence the rate of preterm birth in an urban population of women living in Valparaiso, Chile. This study aims to understand whether a relationship exists between socio-demographic characteristics, such as economic level, education, lifestyle, access to medical attention and resources and the risk of prematurity. The outcomes of this study seek to determine the major biological, cultural, and social relationships and identify at-risk social groups. Additionally, this study considers the …

Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights Of Aymara Women In The Intercultural Health System In Chile / Salud Y Derechos Sexuales Y Reproductivos De Las Mujeres Aymara En El Sistema De Salud Intercultural De Chile, Ariela Schnyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation seeks to understand how Aymara women navigate their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Chile’s intercultural health care model. Indigenous communities have their own practices that complicate the provision of sexual and reproductive health by requiring health care providers to be aware of two different worldviews and how they may conflict, as well as what is necessary to provide respectful care. However, an ethnically and culturally pertinent framework is vital to actually assuring successful SRHR provision, whose tenants include autonomous choice and care free of discrimination, coercion or violence. These interactions were investigated through semi-structured interviews …

Successful Communities: What Is Desired And What Is Present In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska, 2014 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

Rural Nebraskans are looking for many things in a community. The characteristics of a community that most believe are absolutely essential include social dimensions (sense of personal safety), economic dimensions (jobs/economic opportunities), some basic services (a quality school system, available medical services, affordable housing, quality housing and well maintained infrastructure) and environmental dimensions (a clean and attractive natural environment).

Unfortunately, when asked if these characteristics are present in their current community, some of these areas are lacking. One of the more extreme cases involves jobs/economic opportunities. Seventy-seven percent of the respondents say these are absolutely essential in order for them …

Demographic, Economic And Social Transformations In The Colombian-Origin Population Of The New York City Metropolitan Area, 1990 - 2010, Laird Bergad

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This study examines demographic and socioeconomic aspects of the Colombian-origin population of the New York City area between 1990 and 2010.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: The demographic, social, and economic indicators considered in this report were influenced by decline of immigration from Colombia to the region after 2000. Like most immigrant groups before them Colombians are ambitious, hard workers, …

Have Dominicans Surpassed Puerto Ricans To Become New York City’S Largest Latino Nationality? An Analysis Of Latino Population Data From The 2013 American Community Survey For New York City And The Metropolitan Area, Laird Bergad

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This study examines three data sets from the recently released American Community Survey (ACS) of 2013 to estimate the population sizes of the largest Latino national sub groups in New York City and in the City’s surrounding counties.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: The data released by IPUMS in November 2014 from American Community Survey for 2013, and analyzed here, …

A First Look At The Plea Deal Experiences Of Juveniles Tried In Adult Court, Tarika Daftary-Kapur, Tina Zottoli

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

While there is a large body of research on the legal capacities of adolescents, this research largely has neglected the plea-deal context. To learn about adolescents’ understanding of the plea process and their appreciation of the short- and long-term consequences of accepting a plea deal, we conducted interviews with 40 juveniles who were offered plea deals in adult criminal court. Participants displayed a limited understanding of the plea process were not fully aware of their legal options and appeared to be overly influenced by the short-term benefits associated with accepting their plea deals. Limited contact with attorneys may have contributed …

Detroit Works Long-Term Planning Project: Engagement Strategies For Blending Community And Technical Expertise, Toni L. Griffin, Dan Cramer, Megan Powers

Publications and Research

In January 2013, civic leaders, community stakeholders, and residents came together to release Detroit Future City: 2012 Detroit Strategic Framework Plan, a guiding blueprint for transforming Detroit from its current state of population loss and excessive vacancy into a model for the reinvention of post-industrial American cities. Three years prior, the U.S. Census had reported that the city had lost 24% of its population over the last decade and had experienced a 20% increase in vacant and abandoned property, bringing total vacancy to roughly the size of Manhattan. In addition to physical and economic challenges, Detroiters had also acknowledged significant …

The ‘Mommy Tax’ And ‘Daddy Bonus’: Parenthood And Personal Income In The United States Between 1990 And 2010, Justine Calcagno

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This study examines the relationship between parenthood and personal income by sex in the United States between 1990 and 2010.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: The data analyzed in this report indicate three key trends. First, women who were parents had substantially lower median personal incomes than men who were parents. Second, men who were parents earned markedly higher personal …

The Concentration Of Household Income In The United States By Race/Ethnicity And Latino Nationalities, 1990 - 2010, Justine Calcagno

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This study examines demographic and socioeconomic factors concerning Latinos in the United States between 1990 and 2010 – particularly the concentration of household income.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: The data indicate a growing concentration of income among upper-earning households in the U.S. total population, among the wealthiest earners in each major race/ethnic group, and among the five largest Latino …

An Experimental Test Of The Effects Of Survey Sponsorship On Internet And Mail Survey Response, Michelle L. Edwards, Don A. Dillman, Jolene D. Smyth

Bureau of Sociological Research: Faculty Publications

Survey researchers have typically assumed that university sponsorship consistently increases response rates and reduces nonresponse error across different populations, but they have not tested the effects of utilizing different university sponsors to collect data from the same population. In addition, scholars have not examined how these effects differ for mixed-mode (web and mail) or mail-only data collection. To explore these questions, we conducted an experiment in spring 2012 with an address-based sample of residents from two states (Washington and Nebraska), using two university sponsors (Washington State University and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln) and two modes (a sequential “web-push” design versus …

Agency Of The South Sudanese: Compensating For Health Care In Mungula Refugee Settlement, Lauren Schmidt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In reaction to the endemic violence, which has forced many South Sudanese to flee their homes and seek refuge within Uganda’s borders, the researcher spent the practicum interning with the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) in Mungula refugee settlement, under academic advisor Steven Mawa. As the organization is the leading health provider in the settlement, the researcher gained insight into the provision of social services to the population, which allowed an extensive study on the ability of the South Sudanese to compensate for shortages in care and various complications associated with doing so.

The researcher sought to entertain these inquiries …

Health Advocacy Intervention For Youth : A Case Study Of Metro Youth Advocates., Tiffany Monyhan, Sasha Belenky, Kristi Mcclary King

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Global Peak Population For Canada's Future, Alain P. Bélanger, Barry Edmonston, Kevin Mcquillan, Benoît Laplante, Sharon M. Lee, Martin Cooke, Don Kerr

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

In “Imagining Canada’s Future” the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) engaged various stakeholders to help establish six Future Challenge Areas. This report elaborates on the capacity of the Canadian research community with regard to the Future Challenge Area on “What might the implications of global peak population be for Canada?” It provides answers to sub-questions associated with this theme, namely: (1) What do we need to understand in order to effectively nurture the next generations? (2) What might Canadian families look like in five, 10, and 20 years, and how might they measure their well-being? (3) Life cycle …

Living And Aging In Newton: Now And In The Future, Bernard A. Steinman, Hayley Gleason, Ceara Somerville, Jan E. Mutchler, Center For Social And Demographic Research On Aging, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Gerontology Institute Publications

This report describes collaborative efforts undertaken by the City of Newton Department of Senior Services, the Newton Council on Aging, The Senior Citizens Fund of Newton, Inc., and the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging, within the McCormack Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Beginning in Fall 2013, these organizations partnered to conduct a needs assessment study to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of the City’s older resident population, with respect to living and aging in Newton. The focus of this report is on two cohorts of Newton residents—those aged 50 to 59 (referred …

Perceptions Of Crime And Safety In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: 2014 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

Most rural Nebraskans are not worried or not very worried about either crime in their community or about personally being a victim of crime. However, persons living in or near larger communities are more likely than persons living in or near smaller communities to be worried or very worried about crime. Furthermore, most persons living in or near communities with populations less than 10,000 are not worried or not very worried about crime in their community.

Trust also remains high in the rural areas. Most rural Nebraskans say they count on their neighbors to watch their property while they are …

A Demographic Portrait Of The Mexican-Origin Population In Nebraska, Lissette Aliaga-Linares

Latino/Latin American Studies Reports

A study released from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Office of Latino and Latin American Studies (OLLAS) chronicles the current state of Mexican-origin residents of Nebraska, finding that while the numbers of immigrants moving into Nebraska has slowed in recent years, the population continues to grow and become more a part of the state’s demographic makeup.

The study, which was also funded in part by the Sherwood Foundation, examined more than a century of census data from the United States, finding that the more than 140,000 Mexican-origin residents in Nebraska as of 2012 has rapidly increased since …

Life In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Perceptions Of Well-Being, 2014 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben

Nebraska Rural Poll

By many different measures, rural Nebraskans are positive about their community. Many rural Nebraskans rate their community as friendly, trusting and supportive. Most rural Nebraskans also say it would be difficult to leave their community. In addition, most rural Nebraskans disagree that their community is powerless to control its future.

Differences of opinion exist by the size of their community. Residents of smaller communities are more likely than residents of larger communities to rate their community favorably on its social dimensions. However, residents of larger communities are more likely than residents of smaller communities to say their community has changed …

The Geography Of Disability In America: On Rural-Urban Differences In Impairment Rates, Christiane Von Reichert, Lillie Greiman, Andrew Myers, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

How do disability rates vary across the United States and between rural and urban areas? For over a decade, this question could not be answered with current public data. In December 2013, however, the US Census Bureau released the 2008-2012 American Community Survey (ACS) summary data. These data represent the first opportunity since the 2000 Census to answer questions about disability prevalence for the entire nation, and rural and urban geographies. These data can help inform critical disability policy decisions as well as guide future research. The ACS does not directly measure disability. Rather, it evaluates disability in terms of …

Birth Cohort Changes In The Association Between College Education And Religious Non-Affiliation, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This article examines the changing association between higher education and reporting no religious affiliation in the United States. I argue that increases in higher education have led to a decline in the individual-level effect of college education on religious non-affiliation. Results from hierarchical age-period-cohort models using more than three and a half decades of repeated cross-sectional survey data demonstrate that the strong, positive effect of college education on reporti ti ng no religious affiliation declines precipitously across birth cohorts. Specifically, a bachelor’s degree has no effect on non-affiliation by the 1965–69 cohort, and a negative effect for the 1970s cohorts. …

Assessing Within-Household Selection Methods In Household Mail Surveys, Kristen Olson, Mathew Stange, Jolene D. Smyth

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Household surveys are increasingly moving toward self-administered modes of data collection. To maintain a probability sample of the population, researchers must use probability methods to select adults within households. However, very little experimental methodological work has been conducted on within-household selection in mail surveys. In this study, we experimentally examine four methods—the next-birthday method, the last-birthday method, selection of the youngest adult in the household, and selection of the oldest adult in the household—in two mail surveys of Nebraska residents (n = 2,498, AAPOR RR1 36.3 percent, and n = 947, AAPOR RR1 31.6 percent). To evaluate how accurately respondents …