László J. Kulcsár

Micropolitan Areas and the Measurement of American Urbanization

With the official designation of micropolitan areas in June 2003, as part of the new core-based statistical area system, non-metropolitan territory is no longer an undifferentiated residual. In this paper we compare the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of a preliminary set of micropolitan areas with more highly urbanized territory and with territory outside core-based statistical areas, to answer questions about the micropolitan categorys conceptual validity. Demographic and economic data are used, along with a mail survey of county officials in a random sample of small metropolitan, micropolitan, and non-core-based statistical areas (non-CBSAs). The analysis shows substantial differentiation between micropolitan and non-CBSA areas, and demonstrates the importance of distinguishing between these two types of non-metropolitan areas. As an intermediate category, micropolitan areas provide stability to the decade-to-decade swings in non-metropolitan population change during periods of higher out-migration, but share almost equally with non-CBSA areas in attracting migrants during periods of high non-metropolitan in-migration. In terms of services available and their function as urban centers, micropolitan areas are intermediate between small metropolitan and non-CBSA areas, but more similar to small metropolitan areas.

Post‐Socialist Restructuring and Population Redistribution in Hungary*

This research focuses on pathways by which national level macro-social transformations are transmitted to local communities. Our case is Hungary where we examine the relationship between post-socialist economic restructuring, widespread industrial dislocations, and urban-rural migration. Using secondary data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) and survey data from a study of 49 villages in 4 distinct rural regions, we demonstrate that post-socialist population deconcentration involved both suburbanization and net movement to villages, especially villages that are located relatively close to cities. Contrary to our expectations, movement to villages was from nearby settlements, not from large industrial centers. Moreover, migrants to villages were substantially better off than longer term village residents in terms of their human capital and attachment to the labor force. Consequently, post-socialist population deconcentration is not contributing to rural poverty as feared by some scholars.

International handbook of rural demography

1: Why does rural demography still matter? : Laszlo J. Kulcsar.- 2: Challenges in the analysis of rural populations in the United States: Steve. H. Murdock, Michael Cline, Mary Zey.- 3: Rural natural increase in the new century: Americas third demographic transition: Kenneth M. Johnson, Daniel T. Lichter.- 4: Migration and rural population change: Comparative views in more developed nations: David Brown.- 5: World Urbanization: Destiny and reconceptualization: Avery M. Guest.- 6: Rural aging in international context: E. Helen Berry.- 7: Europes rural demography: Anthony Champion.- 8: The demography of rural Latin America: The case of Chile: Leif Jensen, David Ader.- 9: Rural demography in Asia and the Pacific Rim: Gavin Jones, Premchand Dommaraju.- 10: Demographic change and rural-urban inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Theory and trends: Parfait M Eloundou-Enyegue, Sarah C. Giroux.- 11: Demographic structure and process in rural China: Dudley L. Poston, JR., Mary Ann Davis, Danielle Xiaodan Deng.- 12: Rural population trends in Mexico: demographic and labor changes: Landy Sabches, Edith Pachecco.- 13: Rural demography in India: T.V. Sekher.- 14: The aboriginal people of Canada: a rural perspective: Gustave Goldmann.- 15: Rural race and ethnicity: Rogelio Saenz.- 16: Family matters: gender, work arrangements, and the rural myth: Leann M. Tiggs, Hae Yeon Choo.- 17: Rural families in transition: Kristin E. Smith, Marybeth J. Mattingly.- 18: Rural health disparities: P. Johnelle Sparks.- 19: Perspectives on U.S. rural labor markets in the first decade of the twenty-first century: Alexander C. Vias.- 20: Race and place: Determinants of Poverty in the Texas borderland and the lower Mississippi Delte: Joachim Singelmann, Tim Slack, Kayla Fontenot.- 21: Rural jobs: Making a living in the countryside: Gary Paul green.- 22: The spatial heterogeneity and geographic extent of population deconcentration: Measurement and policy implications: Joanna P. Ganning, Benjamin D. McCall.- 23: Integrating ecology and demography to understand the interrelationship between environmental issues and rural populations: Christopher A. Lepczyk, Marc Linderman, Roger B. Hammer.- 24: Boom or bust? Population dynamics in natural resource dependent counties: Richelle Winkler, Cheng Cheng, Shaun Golding.- 25: Neoliberal democratization and public health inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa: A proposed conceptual and empirical design: Moshi Optat Herman.- 26: Divers ruralities in the 21st Century: from effacement to (re)invention: Keith Halfacree.

Something Old, Something New: Hungarian Marriage Patterns in Historical Perspective:

Marriage patterns are probably the most sensitive to changes in social norms or economic structure, and closely follow the development path of a society. This study investigates the changing trends of nuptiality in Hungary from the late-nineteenth to the early-twenty-first century. With the help of Hungarian historical statistical data, changes are presented from the perspective of broader socioeconomic development over time, during which Hungary has turned from a predominantly agrarian society into a modern urban one. This study provides a historical demographic overview of a country where state intervention in the social norms and collective behavior was itself a norm for a long time.

The Demography of Race and Ethnicity in Hungary

Hungary, located in the middle of Central Europe with a land mass slightly smaller than the state of Virginia, has for over millennia been a point of convergence for multiple cultures, populations and ethnicities. At the same time, the Hungarians, as a people, are unique in Central Europe, originating from the Russian steppes on the border of Europe and Asia, and speaking a language that is distantly related to Finnish, and not at all related to any of the other major European language groups. In relation to its past, present-day Hungary is by most standards an ethnically homogenous country. However, social and political issues related to national and ethnic minorities have played central roles in the country’s formation and development, and continue to fundamentally shape both the character of its civic sphere as well as its national and international policies. We begin this chapter with an historical background to trace the ways in which political and demographic issues associated with national and ethnic minorities have fundamentally shaped Hungary’s past and present. We then focus on contemporary Hungary, paying particular attention to the Roma minority. We conclude with a discussion of what we interpret as the most salient social and demographic trends as well as theoretical and public policy concerns related to minority populations as Hungary moves forward into the twenty-first century.

The Greying Periphery—Ageing and Community Development in Rural Romania and Bulgaria

The impact of ageing on community well-being has been part of the policy discourse in the West, but it is a relatively new problem for the post-socialist countries in Eastern Europe. This study focuses on the patterns of ageing in rural Romania and Bulgaria, offering a holistic view of vulnerabilities, including persistent rural disadvantages, ageing in the countryside and the post-socialist transformation. Aggregate statistics and community case studies reveal the links between demographic processes and community development. This paper contributes to the country-specific analysis of the ageing European periphery in the context of social cohesion as a fundamental European goal.

Why Does Rural Demography Still Matter

Over the course of human history, rural places have been viewed as population reserves for urbanization and industrialization. Rurality was often synonymous with backwardness, and modernization in many countries was conceptualized and understood as a shrinking rural population accompanied by an increasing urban population. Concurrently, policy measures more often promoted urban expansion to the neglect of rural development, and in some cases rural areas were deliberately left undeveloped. The dominant perception of rurality stems from a dichotomous view of what is urban and what is rural, subsequently assuming rural areas are homogeneous. However, this collection of research disputes such overly simplistic views and incomplete policies. Rural areas are increasingly diverse in economic structure, and the presence of certain amenities, historical development patterns, and cultural conditions prompt a reevaluation of rurality. Throughout the international context, contemporary rural areas are confronting several challenges, including managing natural resources, addressing the local impacts of the global economy, and reconceptualizing what “rural” means in a rapidly changing world. Rural demography has much to contribute to understanding the continued evolution of rural populations and places into the 21st century.

A Demographic Deficit? Local Population Aging and Access to Services in Rural America, 1990–2010†

Population aging is being experienced by many rural communities in the U.S., as evidenced by increases in the median age and the high incidence of natural population decrease. The implications of these changes in population structure for the daily lives of the residents in such communities have received little attention. We address this issue in the current study by examining the relationship between population aging and the availability of service-providing establishments in the rural U.S. between 1990 and 2010. Using data mainly from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we estimate a series of fixed-effects regression models to identify the relationship between median age and establishment counts net of changes in overall population and other factors. We find a significant, but non-linear relationship between county median age and the total number of service-providing establishments, and counts of most specific types of services. We find a positive effect of total population size across all of our models. This total population effect is consistent with other research, but the independent effects of age structure that we observe represent a novel finding and suggest that age structure is a salient factor in local rural development and community wellbeing.

Retirement Migration to Unconventional Places

Conventional research on retirement migration often focuses on natural amenities and recreation opportunities as main drivers. However, other kinds of factors can be shown to attract older people. This chapter aims to describe and explore “unconventional retirement destinations” (URDs) that do not fit into the usual theoretical and methodological mold, with special interest in the influence of economic, health, and socio-cultural factors. Using statistical analysis, 108 counties in the nonmetropolitan United States were identified as having a higher rate of net in-migration at older ages than would be predicted by established ideas of the causal processes involved. Our descriptive analysis compares unconventional destinations with their more conventional counterparts in terms of general demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Then, our focus narrows to primary data collection in eight URD case study sites in an attempt to draw a meaningful picture of where, how, and why unconventional retirement destinations are formed. Finally, we present a base typology of URD counties along with implications for how these interact with local community planning. Our goal is for this typology to begin to inform both future research and policy decisions.

Comparing Immigrant Education Levels and Resultant Labor Market Outcomes: The European Versus the Native Born Experience in the United States

In this paper we study the effects that education level has on the labor force participation and income of European immigrants in the United States. Although there are five million European- born persons currently living in the United States, they are a rather understudied group, most probably because of the assumption of their unproblematic assimilation in to the mainstream. Using secondary data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and New Immigrants Survey, we compare the labor market outcomes of the native White American and immigrant European population before the 2008 economic crisis, focusing on the differences that education makes in the lives of these immigrants.