Frank L. Farmer

Insights and Applications

Human population growth has substantial impacts on federal lands management. This article documents that growth in federal lands counties was frequently higher than the areas average. Relationships were found between population growth rates and region, metropolitan status, and federal lands presence. Population growth rates varied with federal land management agency, which may be due to regional differences as well as differences in the relative amount of natural amenities. Additional research is needed to explain growth differentials.

Population Density Surface: A New Approach to an Old Problem

The delineation of spatial boundaries for human dimension of natural resource research has long been a source of challenge. Inherent in the use of aggregated data are theoretical and practical dilemmas, the most salient being establishing measurement boundaries that match conceptual boundaries. An alternative way to conceptualize population is to view the data as a continuous phenomenon over the landscape. This article presents a conceptual framework and method that uses geospatial data with Census data to determine human settlement patterns by generating a population density surface (PDS). The PDS provides a base for further analyses and user-defined, theory-driven population aggregations while preserving more spatial differentiation than traditional zone-based models. The first section is a brief overview of the inherent difficulties of aggregated data. The second outlines an approach for creating a population density surface. The last section presents results and an experimental test, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a surface, and outlines directions for the further research.The delineation of spatial boundaries for human dimension of natural resource research has long been a source of challenge. Inherent in the use of aggregated data are theoretical and practical dilemmas, the most salient being establishing measurement boundaries that match conceptual boundaries. An alternative way to conceptualize population is to view the data as a continuous phenomenon over the landscape. This article presents a conceptual framework and method that uses geospatial data with Census data to determine human settlement patterns by generating a population density surface (PDS). The PDS provides a base for further analyses and user-defined, theory-driven population aggregations while preserving more spatial differentiation than traditional zone-based models. The first section is a brief overview of the inherent difficulties of aggregated data. The second outlines an approach for creating a population density surface. The last section presents results and an experimental test, discusses the adv...

Landing a Definition of Fishing Dependent Communities: Potential Social Science Contributions to Meeting National Standard 8

Abstract Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act National Standard 8, federal policy now mandates that fishery management plans identify and consider the social and economic consequences of fisheries management actions on fishing communities (MSFCMA Section 301\[a]\[81). This mandate is based on the recognition that conservation and management efforts have expansive social and economic impacts. The acts definition of a fishing-dependent community is “a community which is substantially dependent on or substantially engaged in the harvest or processing of fishery resources to meet social and economic needs, and includes fishing vessel owners, operators, and crew and United States fish processors that are based in such a community” (PL94-265). The definition of fishing community in the act is workable only if the meaning of the phrase, “substantially dependent on or substantially engaged” is defined. Yet the law is not specific as to what constitutes fishing dependence. Consequent...

Community-Based Social Marketing: Involvement in Health Programs

Social marketing is a strategy that uses marketing approaches developed within the business arena to design, implement, and evaluate socially beneficial programs. This approach can be an effective social change strategy for groups working in the profession of community development. This paper describes two community-based projects that employed social marketing to design and implement interventions to promote health in Arkansas and Florida. We describe the stages of the research, as well as the limitations and strengths of this approach.

Substantive nonadditivity in social science research A note on induced collinearity and measurement and testing of effects

Theories employed to explain regularities in social behavior often contain reference (explicit or implicit) to the presence of nonlinear and/or nonadditive (i.e., multiplicative) relationships among germane variables. While such nonadditive features are theoretically important, the inclusion of quadratic or multiplicative terms in structural equations to model such features can cause significant methodological problems. This paper estimates a set of equations and formally examines how the inclusion of quadratic terms and multiplicative interaction terms contribute to the level of collinearity or ill-conditioning of the input data matrix and the precision of the parameter estimates. Subsequently we examine how effects of explanatory variables in nonadditive models can be measured and tested for statistical significance. The results indicate that collinearity may not be as big a problem for linear structural social science models as is often believed. Further, although collinearity is increased by adding quadratic and/or multiplicative terms, the effects of the collinearity tend to be localized and entail only variables with a common base. The findings suggest the substantive insight gained from including theoretically appropriate nonlinear and nonadditive terms outweigh the methodological problems they create.

Rural Community Studies and Secondary Data: Aggregation Revisited.

This article focuses on the issue of selecting the unit of analysis when employing secondary data in rural community studies. This issue is of increasing importance to community development practitioners and researchers because the 1990 Census will provide more choices of study units than ever before. The implication of this greater set of options is that the researcher and practitioner must exert care in their selection. Here, an empirical demonstration of the influence of selecting one unit of analysis over another is provided. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses reveal that such choices have a substantial impact upon empirical results.

The biophysical environment and human health: Toward understanding the reciprocal effects

This article focuses on the challenges and opportunities related to the empirical examination of the relationship between the multidimensional concepts of “biophysical environment” and “human health.” The challenge at hand is the adoption of a holistic, less fragmented approach to conceptualizing health and the environment. Inherent in such an approach is the consideration of issues along a continuum of levels of organization ranging from the cell, to the individual, to the community, to the ecosphere. Such a holistic approach represents an important opportunity for social scientists. Social scientists provide a crucial set of perspectives and a methodological tool kit that can and should be used in concert with the other closely involved sciences to enhance our understanding of the relationship between the biophysical environment and the health of human populations.

Identification and Attenuation of Barriers to Entrepreneurship Targeting New Destination Latino Migrants

Results are reported from a Latino immigrant entrepreneur needs assessment survey. The research project was conducted to identify barriers to business formation and continuation within the target population. A total of 171 surveys representing more than 200 businesses from 39 communities in 21 counties in western Arkansas were collected. Nearly 42% of respondents cited start-up capital as their biggest barrier with another 15% naming it as the second biggest barrier. Understanding government regulations and tax information rated as the second biggest barrier that Latinos encountered. This barrier is more pronounced in rural areas than in urban areas. Other top concerns include advertising, location, and obtaining licenses and permits. A closer examination of barriers finds nuanced differences between rural and urban entrepreneurs. Outreach programs and materials developed in response to research findings are presented.

Deforestation Near Public Lands: An Empirical Examination of Associated Processes

This article is an empirical examination of human-environment interactions associated with deforestation. The focus is on areas adjacent to the Buffalo National River and Ozark–St. Francis National Forest. Satellite imagery and census data over a 10-year timeframe are analyzed using multivariate methods to provide insight into underlying processes impacting land cover change. Examination of the parameters in areas near public land boundaries in conjunction with distance-to-the-boundary measures indicate changes immediately adjacent to the public lands differ from those at a distance. Public lands with differing mandates (resource conservation for current and future utilization in the case of U.S. Forest Service lands and preservation of existing “wilderness” condition in the case of the Buffalo National River) function separately within the wider landscape context. Land cover change due to deforestation is driven by transportation infrastructure, slope, distance to large urban centers, and location relative to public lands.

Human Capital Attributes of Hispanic Immigrant Entrepreneurs in a New Destination State

This article describes a survey of Hispanic immigrant entrepreneurs in a New Destination state. Results focus on the human capital, educational aspirations, and motivations. Findings challenge the idea that most Hispanic immigrants start up businesses because of limited human capital, discrimination, or blocked opportunities in the workforce. Rather, these entrepreneurs leverage accumulated human capital in the form of education, experience, and personal initiative, and express strong interest in continuing education though not necessarily formal higher education.