Demographic Perspectives On Inequality And Opportunity
PRI researchers continue to be at the forefront in using demographic perspectives and techniques to provide needed insight into processes that sort individuals into socioeconomic strata, the circumstances of at-risk sub-populations, and the structure of inequality in society. Our work in this area falls within three broad sub-themes. These are the (1) Demography of Education, including how families, schools and communities interact with children's educational outcomes, (2) Migration and Opportunity, with emphasis on context, and (3) Spatial Inequality, with a focus on methods, structure and dynamics.
Demography of Education: How do families, schools and communities affect educational outcomes?
A multidisciplinary area of PRI research focuses on the demography and life course of children from birth through young adulthood, and the combined effects of families and schools in determining differential outcomes for these children. PRI researchers from sociology, education, rural sociology and other disciplines are contributing to basic and applied research on the demographic correlates of school readiness, early reading skills, and academic success while in school, with emphasis on family structure and dynamics. Funded research also explores the implications of social, economic and policy contexts on these processes.
Researchers working in this area include:
Migration and Opportunity: How does context affect migration decisions and outcomes?
Of the key demographic processes, migration has arguably the greatest impact on the demographic composition of localities, and is the one most strongly influenced by local context. PRI's current and future work in this area focuses on the United States, where such things as welfare reform and the rise of new immigrant gateway communities have heightened the salience of research on the interplay of migration and context. PRI has significant scientific expertise and assets directed at both newly emerging migration issues and more traditional concerns about the assimilation and economic outcomes of immigrants and their children.
Researchers working in this area include:
- Gordon De Jong
- Jill Findeis
- Deborah Graefe
- Leif Jensen
- Nancy Landale
- R. Salvador Oropesa
- Suet-ling Pong
- Kai Schafft
- Jennifer Van Hook
Spatial Inequality: How do community context and spatial inequality shape socio-demographic outcomes?
Demographers are increasingly interested in spatial inequality and the ways in which life chances are shaped by varied dimensions of place and spatial context, including neighborhood resources, social networks, labor markets, and access to health facilities, schooling and other social institutions. PRI is a leading contributor to new scholarship on the measurement, nature, causes and consequences of spatial inequality. PRI's growing portfolio of projects focusing on spatial dimensions of social problems builds on the GIS expertise and infrastructure within PRI. In both research and training, PRI continues to intensify its contribution to the national effort to understand spatial inequality and the interplay between context and individual and family outcomes, and to enhance the capacity of tomorrow's researchers to incorporate the theory, tools and techniques of spatial analysis.
Researchers working in this area include:
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