Exploring the influence of civic community structures on family poverty in a multilevel context

This dissertation integrates the civic community perspective and structuralist and individualist perspectives of poverty to assess the relationships between civic community structures and family poverty outcomes. The key contribution of this project to the larger bodies of civic community and poverty research is the use of a multilevel framework that accounts for both community context and family characteristics in shaping family poverty outcomes. This objective is carried out through a series of multilevel analyses wherein religious and economic civic community structures are examined in relation to various conceptualizations of family-level poverty. The first analysis examines the associations between religious-based measures of civic community and family poverty experiences. Results indicate that the ecological context of religion within places is significant in understanding the poverty experiences of families. Specifically, multilevel models demonstrate the negative effect of Mainline Protestant and Catholic adherents on family poverty. Conversely, it is shown that Mainline Protestant and Catholic congregations have a positive effect on family poverty. The second analysis examines the influence of economic-based measures of civic community on family poverty outcomes. Results indicate that the economic climate of places is significant in understanding the poverty experiences of families. Specifically, multilevel regressions demonstrate negative relationships between small business establishments and family poverty outcomes. Conversely, regression results show that self-employed business persons share positive relationships with family poverty outcomes. Supplementary analyses highlight the significant moderating effect of aggregate socioeconomic status on the relationships between economic climate measures and specific family poverty outcomes. The third and final analysis combines both religious and economic indicators of civic community in the examination of family poverty outcomes. Results indicate that the presence of civic community structures within places is significantly related to family poverty. Specifically, multilevel regressions demonstrate that Mainline Protestant adherents and small business establishments are associated with less family poverty. However, Mainline Protestant congregations and economically independent business persons are associated with more family poverty. Again, additional analyses highlight significant interaction effects between aggregate socioeconomic status and economic climate measures on specific family poverty outcomes

Being Prepared and Staying Connected: Scouting’s Influence on Social Capital and Community Involvement

Objectives In recent years, scholars have become concerned about the effects that declining levels of social capital are having on community life in the United States. Data suggest that Americans are less likely to interact with neighbors and less likely to participate in community groups than they were in the past. Nevertheless, researchers have found that participation in some types of organizations has a positive impact on social capital and civic involvement. Each year, millions of American youth participate in programs designed to promote positive youth development. Here, we examine the effect that participation in one of the largest youth organizations, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), has on adult social capital and community involvement. Methods Utilizing a national survey of adult males, we compare measures of social capital and community involvement for former Scouts and non‐Scouts. Results Our findings suggest that level of involvement in the Boy Scouts is significantly related to measures of adult social capital and community engagement. Conclusion Scouting tends to have a significant impact on the lives of its most committed members. Future research must continue to explore the long‐term effects of participation in youth organizations

Citizenship education in England 2001-2010 : young people's practices and prospects for the future : the eighth and final report from the Citizenship Education Longitudinal Study (CELS)

On the one hand, there has been a marked and steady increase in young people’s civic and political participation and indications that these young people will continue to participate as adult citizens. In contrast, there has been a hardening of attitudes toward equality and society, a weakening of attachment to communities and fluctuating levels of engagement, efficacy and trust in the political arena. The factors that shape young people’s citizenship outcomes include age and life-stage, background factors, prior citizenship outcomes, as well as levels of ‘received’ citizenship education

Responsive Management: Municipal Leadership for an Aging Population

This article focuses on the responsive management of municipal leadership by identifying organizational and community values that affect age friendly policy making. The data comes from a sample of 1050 cities extracted from a national list of cities identified as place geography on the U.S. census list of geographies. The web-based questionnaire explored policy choices of 331 respondents in the areas of mobility, housing, the built environment, and public service delivery administered between May and August 2016. The institutionalization of the needs of an aging population in city management principles results in high levels of age friendly policy action by cities. Public advocacy on aging issues enhances the impact on local policy-making. Safeguarding of public interest through city management suggests municipalities may adjust procedurally to respond to the needs of an aging population. Public managers may find opportunities to facilitate increased policy action and services to support a growing older adult population. There are implications for older people to age in place when their community lacks municipal leadership on aging in place policies and older people have limited voice on aging issues

The ethnic density effect on the health of ethnic minority people in the United Kingdom: a study of hypothesised pathways

This thesis contributes to our understanding of the individual and community assets available to ethnic minority people living in areas characterised by high concentrations of co-ethnics. It has been hypothesized that positive attributes found in areas of greater concentration of ethnic minority people, or ethnic density, might provide ethnic minority residents with health promoting, or protective effects. This study explored the effect of ethnic density on the health of ethnic minority people in the UK. It proposed and tested three pathways by which ethnic density is hypothesised to operate: through a change in racism-related social norms; through buffering the detrimental effects of racism on health; and through an increase in civic-political activity. Multilevel methods were applied to three nationally representative cross sectional studies, the 1999 and 2004 Health Survey for England; the Fourth National Survey of Ethnic Minorities; and the 2005 and 2007 Citizenship Survey. Results showed a stronger ethnic density effect on psychological outcomes, as compared to that found for physical health outcomes. Effect sizes were larger when the ethnic density of specific groups was analysed, but more likely to be significant when the density of all minority groups combined was considered. Analyses conducted to test the social norms model reported a significant reduction in experienced racism among ethnic minority people living in areas of high ethnic density, as compared to their counterparts who live in areas of reduced ethnic density. Examinations of the buffering effects of ethnic density indicated a tendency for a weaker association between racism and health as ethnic density increased, although interactions were mostly non-significant. Finally, ethnic minority people were not found to report higher civic engagement as ethnic density increased, but they were found to be more satisfied with local services and to report greater community cohesion