Steven Michael Grice

National estimates of racial segregation in rural and small-town America

The objective of this paper is to provide, for the first time, comparative estimates of racial residential segregation of blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan places in 1990 and 2000. Analyses are based on block data from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. decennial censuses. The results reveal a singularly important and perhaps surprising central conclusion: levels and trends in recent patterns of racial segregation in America’s small towns are remarkably similar to patterns observed in larger metropolitan cities. Like their big-city counterparts, nonmetropolitan blacks are America’s most highly segregated racial minority—roughly 30% to 40% higher than the indices observed for Hispanics and Native Americans. Finally, baseline ecological models of spatial patterns of rural segregation reveal estimates that largely support the conclusions reached in previous metropolitan studies. Racial residential segregation in rural places increases with growing minority percentage shares and is typically lower in “new” places (as measured by growth in the housing stock), while racially selective annexation and the implied “racial threat” at the periphery exacerbate racial segregation in rural places. Our study reinforces the need to broaden the spatial scale of segregation beyond its traditional focus on metropolitan cities or suburban places, especially as America’s population shifts down the urban hierarchy into exurban places and small towns.

Civic Responsibility and the Environment: Linking Local Conditions to Community Environmental Activeness

In this article, we examine the extent to which variations in local social, economic, and spatial conditions might account for variation in community environmental activeness across 208 communities falling within nonmetropolitan areas in Mississippi. We use GIS technology to identify community boundaries, and use key informant and census data to measure community attributes. The findings indicate that community environmental activeness tends to be higher among communities that provide greater access to social capital. The level of community environmental activeness was also found to rest on the size of a community and its regional location. Community activeness increases with the size of community, but it decreases when a community is situated in an economically and socially disadvantaged region. Similarly, community activeness was found to be low in communities with low levels of education.

Building Capacity for Community Efficacy for Economic Development in Mississippi

In the present political environment, there is an interest in developing policies aimed at building capacity for community efficacy: the ability of a local population to come together and act collectively in pursuit of a generalized interest. In this study, we examine the extent to which variation in local conditions might account for variation in community efficacy for economic development in Mississippi. Drawing on multiple sources of data, the results clearly indicated that capacity for community efficacy rested on four major characteristics: (1) community social capital; (2) local civic physical infrastructure; (3) human and economic characteristics; and (4) community spatial characteristics.

Promoting Environmental Democracy Using GIS as a Means to Integrate Community into the EPA-BASINS Approach

This article presents a GIS-based methodology to integrate community into the Environmental Protection Agencys Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS). The proposed methodology was used for the identification, measurement, and comparison of community areas within and between the upstream and downstream watersheds of the Upper Pearl River Basin in Mississippi. Drawing on various sources of data, the communities situated in the upstream watershed were found to be significantly different from the communities situated in the downstream watershed. This information has two important implications relevant to BASINS. First, it provides insights into understanding the human dimension of water resource management. Second, it is instrumental for promoting environmental democracy: networks of association across federal, state, and local organizations that facilitate coordination and cooperation for advancing community-oriented collective action toward the environment.

COMMUNITY CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON NONMETRO COUNTY PERSISTENCE OF POVERTY IN MISSISSIPPI

ABSTRACT In this article we examine differences in the spatial distribution of poverty within nonmetro counties in Mississippi, and the extent to which such differences might be related to the probability that a nonmetro county might be classified as persistently poor. This study contributes to the current literature by dividing the low-income population of the county between those residing in open territory and those within urban and rural census defined places (e.g., towns, villages, and municipalities). The premise is that the higher the share of the low-income population in a county residing within places, the higher the probability that the county will be persistently poor. The results indicate that, across counties with similar poverty rates, those with higher concentration of poverty are more likely to be classified as persistently poor. The results also show that concentration of poverty is especially problematic when low-income people are concentrated in rural places (less than 2,500 persons).

An Analysis of Differential Migration Patterns in the Black Belt and the New South

The South has recently become a major economic hub and population magnet in the United States. This study examines if the Black Belt, a historically declining region within the South, has experienced a similar renaissance. The study also examines how local factors differentially influence migrants from the Black Belt and migrants from outside the South. The study identifies primary hot spots for Black Belt and non-Black Belt migrants. The data come from yearly internal migration files from 1996 to 2007 compiled by the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Census Bureau. The data show that both the Black Belt and the rest of the South experienced a net in-flow of migrants from other U.S. regions. However, the Black Belt had a net population loss to more prosperous areas within the South. The data also show that the Southern hot spots for migrants from the Black Belt are different than those for non-Black Belt migrants. The findings support a singular conclusion: the population growth of the New South is brought about largely because of changes in migration flows of Black Belt migrants.

Community Resiliency to BRAC Recommendations: A Case Study of Two Mississippi Communities

This paper highlights the importance of community resiliency in understanding how communities will fare after the realignment or closure of a local military facility. Two Mississippi communities, Pascagoula and Meridian, in the early stages of the latest Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) process, were selected as case studies. A community action model was used to examine how communities respond to realignment and closure of military facilities. Key informants were used to gather relevant information to assess community resiliency to BRAC recommendations. The results show that Pascagoula possesses the quality of community resiliency—and therefore the ability to recover from the BRAC recommendation. Meridian does not possess this quality and is therefore less likely to fully recover from the BRAC recommendation. These findings underscore the differential abilities of communities in responding to similar economic shocks. Community resiliency should be considered when recommendations are made on realignment and closure of military facilities.