Stuck or Rooted? Perspectives on the Residential Immobility of Children in the U.S. from Poor Neighborhoods and Implications for Policy
Families relocating from concentrated poverty neighborhoods is somewhat rare, either due to structural constraints that limit mobility or the disincentive to leave dense social networks built over time. Researchers previously juxtaposed these two experiences as either “stuck” or “rooted”. We advance...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/10/553 |
| _version_ | 1797572229794365440 |
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| author | Alexus Moore Joy Dillard Appel Austin Harrison Amy Spring |
| author_facet | Alexus Moore Joy Dillard Appel Austin Harrison Amy Spring |
| author_sort | Alexus Moore |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Families relocating from concentrated poverty neighborhoods is somewhat rare, either due to structural constraints that limit mobility or the disincentive to leave dense social networks built over time. Researchers previously juxtaposed these two experiences as either “stuck” or “rooted”. We advance a critical take on both perspectives by demonstrating the heterogeneity of life in disadvantaged neighborhoods for Black urban youth. We utilize data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the 1997 Child Development Supplement to investigate contextual immobility, barriers to moving, and self-reported levels of neighborhood social ties to critique prior research and emergent policy that categorizes disadvantaged populations as “stuck” or “rooted”. Our findings demonstrate that immobility is most strongly associated with the household head lacking a high school education and with knowing more children’s names in the neighborhood. Thus, immobility is associated with structural barriers to moving <i>and</i> social rootedness. We discuss how current policy strategies do not effectively address this duality. We conclude that policy strategies should facilitate intragenerational mobility through housing choice, including the choice to remain in the neighborhood. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:53:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0590e0944c1f4305b3038001a5c9b80d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:53:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-0590e0944c1f4305b3038001a5c9b80d2023-11-19T18:07:54ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602023-10-01121055310.3390/socsci12100553Stuck or Rooted? Perspectives on the Residential Immobility of Children in the U.S. from Poor Neighborhoods and Implications for PolicyAlexus Moore0Joy Dillard Appel1Austin Harrison2Amy Spring3Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, 38 Peachtree Center Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USADepartment of Sociology, Georgia State University, 38 Peachtree Center Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USAUrban Studies Program, Rhodes College, 2000 North Pkwy, Memphis, TN 38112, USADepartment of Sociology, Georgia State University, 38 Peachtree Center Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USAFamilies relocating from concentrated poverty neighborhoods is somewhat rare, either due to structural constraints that limit mobility or the disincentive to leave dense social networks built over time. Researchers previously juxtaposed these two experiences as either “stuck” or “rooted”. We advance a critical take on both perspectives by demonstrating the heterogeneity of life in disadvantaged neighborhoods for Black urban youth. We utilize data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the 1997 Child Development Supplement to investigate contextual immobility, barriers to moving, and self-reported levels of neighborhood social ties to critique prior research and emergent policy that categorizes disadvantaged populations as “stuck” or “rooted”. Our findings demonstrate that immobility is most strongly associated with the household head lacking a high school education and with knowing more children’s names in the neighborhood. Thus, immobility is associated with structural barriers to moving <i>and</i> social rootedness. We discuss how current policy strategies do not effectively address this duality. We conclude that policy strategies should facilitate intragenerational mobility through housing choice, including the choice to remain in the neighborhood.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/10/553residential mobilitypovertyconcentrated disadvantageneighborhoodssocial ties |
| spellingShingle | Alexus Moore Joy Dillard Appel Austin Harrison Amy Spring Stuck or Rooted? Perspectives on the Residential Immobility of Children in the U.S. from Poor Neighborhoods and Implications for Policy Social Sciences residential mobility poverty concentrated disadvantage neighborhoods social ties |
| title | Stuck or Rooted? Perspectives on the Residential Immobility of Children in the U.S. from Poor Neighborhoods and Implications for Policy |
| title_full | Stuck or Rooted? Perspectives on the Residential Immobility of Children in the U.S. from Poor Neighborhoods and Implications for Policy |
| title_fullStr | Stuck or Rooted? Perspectives on the Residential Immobility of Children in the U.S. from Poor Neighborhoods and Implications for Policy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stuck or Rooted? Perspectives on the Residential Immobility of Children in the U.S. from Poor Neighborhoods and Implications for Policy |
| title_short | Stuck or Rooted? Perspectives on the Residential Immobility of Children in the U.S. from Poor Neighborhoods and Implications for Policy |
| title_sort | stuck or rooted perspectives on the residential immobility of children in the u s from poor neighborhoods and implications for policy |
| topic | residential mobility poverty concentrated disadvantage neighborhoods social ties |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/10/553 |
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