Cynthia Needles Fletcher

Structural influences on the relationship between objective and subjective indicators of economic well-being

The study investigated the relationship between objective and subjective indicators of economic well-being within different age, race, and sex groups over time. Stratification theory and an accommodation hypothesis were used to predict differential subjective responses to objective conditions within subgroups. Findings supported the hypothesis that the relationship would be weakest among the oldest age group compared to other age groups. Support was found for the hypothesis that predicted smaller coefficients among subgroups characterized as older, female, and nonwhite. Relationships were found to remain stable within all subgroups over time.

Consumer Finances of Low-Income Families

Serious challenges face families at the bottom of the economic ladder. The difficulties of balancing low incomes against expenditures are exacerbated by a lack of assets and insurance. We examine patterns of family asset ownership and health insurance coverage rates. A review of research focuses on selected dimensions of the financial environment of low-income families: the phenomena of the “unbanked,” home ownership trends, credit use and predatory lending. In each of these areas, additional research is needed to identify ways to help families not only meet their needs, but also to accumulate assets that promote long-term economic well-being.

Transportation Access: A Key Employment Barrier for Rural Low-Income Families

Findings from three sequential studies build an understanding of the transportation barriers facing poor rural families and the link between transportation access and economic outcomes. An in-depth, longitudinal qualitative study explored multiple dimensions of the role of transportation in family life. The results of this study yielded emergent themes and hypotheses used in the subsequent studies. The second study used multiple methods to analyze Census data, vehicle registration lists, and focus group interviews to identify transportation resources in a rural county and to assess transportation needs and barriers facing welfare recipients. The third study addressed the association between transportation and economic outcomes using a dual frame household survey in a cluster of five counties. The article concludes that although policies to provide access to transportation services for rural families may enhance employment opportunities, other related outcomes and longer term effects require additional study.

Children's Housing Environments: Welfare Families in Iowa

This study uses qualitative data to examine how rural low-income women confront the housing needs of their young children in the midst of changes in public policy. The focus is on the strategies employed and the difficulties faced in the provision of safe, affordable and stable homes. The data are drawn from in-home interviews conducted every 6 months with 13 mothers who were welfare-dependent at the start of the research. The investigation depicts several dimensions of the circumstances of poor children that have not had much previous attention in the literature: serial housing inadequacy and chronic mobility. Several families with children with disabilities reported severe housing deficiencies. This research provides initial evidence of the important role of housing in promoting the goals of family stability and economic self-sufficiency as well as the need to improve health and developmental outcomes for children living in poverty.