This report illustrates how poverty rates in the United States vary by selected characteristics: age, race and Hispanic origin, nativity, family composition, work experience, and geography. The estimates in the report are based on interviews with population samples. The Current Population Survey each March interviews approximately 50,000…

The gains of economic recovery have been unevenly distributed to benefit the rich much more than the poor. According to Census Bureau data, poverty, especially among children, is significantly higher than five years ago. Poverty has worsened despite decreased unemployment because of widening gaps between rich and poor. Even modest changes in…

This report assesses the need for and availability of child care services in the metropolitan area of Louisville, Kentucky, including Jefferson County and six surrounding counties in Kentucky (Bullitt, Henry, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, and Trimble) and three counties (Clark, Floyd, and Harrison) in southern Indiana. This assessment focused on 1990…

Examines conditions under which interracial violence develops and considers these phenomena within the context of symbolic and competitive racism through interviews with 505 residents of Baltimore (Maryland) and Richmond (Virginia). Findings indicate that African Americans (about 61 percent of those surveyed) and whites hold differing views about…

Studies factors associated with fear of crime for 585 African-American urban residents from Atlanta (Georgia) and Washington (DC). Many residents thought the streets were safe day or night. Gender was a predictor of fear of crime during the day, and gender and age predicted fear of night crime. (SLD)

This is a collection of conference papers which focus upon factors and variables in conflict among urban ethnic groups in American cities and abroad. Included are the following articles: (1) "Ethnic Conflict, Community-Building, and the Emergence of Ethnic Political Traditions in the United States," by Peter K. Eisinger; (2)…

The cause and effect of rural to urban migration is analyzed in this collection of studies completed from the early 1930's to the 1970's. The analysis revealed that urban problems have been closely related to the sociocultural transition going on in rural America--that the changes in life and labor in agriculture have influenced, if not caused,…

The term "underclass" is often used to describe concentrations of inner-city Blacks in urban neighborhoods where social problems are common, mostly in large metropolitan areas. The most widely used empirical measurements of underclass are the spatial concentrations of poverty and social problems. Characterizing the underclass as almost entirely a…

The similar structure of present-day North American cities makes it impossible to study urban poverty as anything other than a concomitant of the possession of certain demographic characteristics the penalty for which is imposed on a society-wide level. By shifting our focus, however, to incorporate both Latin American cities and North American…

The National Coalition for an Urban Children's Agenda (NCUCA) is an association of 10 organizations that are concerned with the plight of urban children and families. This statement represents the results of a year's debate and discussion drawing on the experience of staff members of these organizations. It is argued that America's education and…

Uses a modified version of the labor-utilization framework to measure the types and extents of underemployment for 2,107 black males and females, a sample from the National Survey of Black Americans (1980). Results reveal a larger percentage of females unemployed, underemployed by low hours or low income, and discouraged. (SLD)

This paper explores how recent economic, demographic, and social changes have created the conditions that are presently constricting the opportunities and future expectations of today's urban young men. While research indicates that all disadvantaged youth in urban areas are facing impediments to their success, the paper focuses on the realities…

Investigates the relative frequency with which U.S. subjects with a non-English first language use English vis-a-vis their other non-English languages. Data from the 1976 Survey of Income and Education (over 150,000 households) indicate that societal pressure and demographic constraints on interactions in non-English languages influence language…

Demographic characteristics of juvenile victims of crime and a potential relationship between victimization and self-reported delinquency are examined for 877 adolescents from a large midwestern city. Lifetime victimization rates (LVRs) are higher for those involved in delinquency, and LVRs rise with age and higher levels of delinquent behavior.…

A random household survey of 569 African-American adults in Oakland and 568 in San Francisco (California) indicates a high prevalence of smoking (41.9 percent), with smoking more likely by those reporting high stress. Stressful environment may contribute to high-risk smoking behavior among urban African Americans. (SLD)