1. Neighborhoods and Poverty
Children and Families in Poverty
Housekeeping
Spring Break
Have you handed your work in?
Also: Pop quiz!?

2. Does where you live matter?
Talk about how neighborhoods
impact children and families
Consider the differences between
poor urban areas vs. poor rural areas

3. Do neighborhoods influence functioning of parents and children?
Hypothesis-Part 1: Economic and racial segregation have cutoff the poor, especially poor minorities, leading to social isolation. -William J. Wilson (1987)

4. Evidence for neighborhood segregation by race and economic status
Poor Whites: 32% live in a poor area
Poor Hispanics: 80% live in poor area
Poor African-Americans: 85% live in poor area

5. Connect theory to readings:
Is there evidence for economic and racial segregation in There are no children here?
What resources are available in this community?
Give an example of “social isolation” for Pharoah and Lafeyette. (who are the perceived “outsiders”)

6. Wilson’s hypothesis – Part 2
Economic and racial segregation lead to:
Loss of mainstream models and resources
Education not meaningful because…
Jobs not available
Alternative paths to adulthood as rational
Focus on short-term goals
Use of welfare & underground jobs to survive
Marriage not feasible

7. Application of Wilson’s Theory: Urban Gangs
Why do people join gangs?
Focus on short-term goals
Safety, protection, income
Influenced by age and cognitive development
Any positive effects from gangs?
Negative effects of gangs?
Adults, children, and non-gang members

8. Does research support this theory?
If neighborhoods impact behavior, than changing neighborhoods should change behavior. (Rosenbaum & DeLuca, 2000)
Moving to Opportunity – U.S. Housing & Urban Development (HUD ), 1994
Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York, & LA
4,600 low-income families living in inner city housing projects
randomly assigned to inner city housing project
or mixed-income neighborhoods

9. Positive Findings- Effects on parents
Increased safety
Less gang activity
Improved health
Less depression & anxiety
Lower rates of maternal
obesity and diabetes

10. Positive findings – Effects on children
Improved health
Fewer injuries
65% decline in asthma attacks
Improved behavior
Less fighting
Fewer reported problems in school
Less violent crime but more property crime
Less distress and depression 15 years later

11. BUT, no differences in
WHY not successful in these areas?

12. Take away message: Does where you live matter?
Yes!
BUT- reducing social isolation and segregation doesn’t change everything
Though a good first step!

13. What about poverty in rural areas?
The forgotten fifth
(O’Hare, 2009)

14. Surprising or interesting points from reading
Rural children more likely
to be in deep poverty than urban
Less likely to live in married
households

15. Rural children and families are MORE likely to be poor than urban children and families
Rural Families
Median income is $40,135
16.6% in poverty
24.4% of children in poverty
Urban Families
Median income is $51,522
14.9% in poverty
21.6% of children in poverty

16. Is rural poverty more persistent than urban poverty? YES
Percentage of population whose poverty spell lasts for two or more years
URBAN - 7%
RUAL - 9%
BUT: It is a myth that once poor, always poor
Over 80% of people experience poverty for less than 24 months at a time

17. Three rural areas with persistent poverty are the most isolated
Rural Appalachia
White
Mississippi Delta
Black
Southwest
American Indian Reservations

18. Social Stratification: Economic and social institutions that help cause rural poverty?
Job market:
Fewer jobs
Lower paying jobs
Support systems
Limited health or child care
Isolation from service centers
Limited transportation
State laws
Minimum wage
Health care

19. Individual factors that might explain rural poverty?
Limited education/skills
Poorer health
Higher rates of smoking
Lower physical activity
Higher levels of disabilities
Cause or effect?
Bioecological model

20. Rural Poverty Example: American Indians 2. 4 million Indians, 1
Rural Poverty Example: American Indians 2.4 million Indians, 1.3 live on reservations
Unemployment Rates (2010)
Indians (overall) 15.2%
U.S %
High school graduation rates (2008)
All Indians 76%
Those on reservations 41%
U.S %
Percent below poverty line
Indians %
US 13%

21. Impact of deep poverty and stress on Health
Diabetes
Indians twice the rate of whites
Life Expectancy
Lowest in Western Hemisphere
(except Haiti)
Suicide
70% higher than general population
Alcohol Deaths
5.6 times higher than the US rate

22. Positive Changes: Population growth
Established more than 31 accredited colleges since 1968

23. Group Discussion
Should casinos be allowed in Rhode Island to benefit the American Indian community?

24. Sources
O’Hare, W. (2009). The forgotten fifth: Child poverty in rural America. Durham, NH: Carsey Institute.
Rosenbaum, J., & DeLuca, S. (2000.) Is housing moiblity the key to welfare reform? The Brookings Institution Survey Surveys. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution.
Rural Policy Research Institute,
Sanbonmatsu, L., et al. (2011 ). Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing Demonstration Program: Final impacts evaluation. Downloaded from: . Accessed on March 18, 2013.
Wilson, W. J. (1987). The truly disadvantaged: The inner city, the underclass, and public policy. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.