Social and Economic Inequality
Economic growth and development depend upon all citizens having the opportunity to maximize their potential, whether this is in terms of family formation, career path, or other long-term objective. MPRC researchers study inequalities by race / ethnicity, social class, age, gender, context, and nativity / immigration status in this and other signature themes.
MPRC research in this category is unique in its focus on key institutional contexts. Although population research usually focuses on the individual or family as the unit of analysis, from an ecological perspective, the individual and family are nested in a set of broader institutional contexts. Such institutions include prisons, the criminal justice system, health care systems, family and welfare policy, the labor market, the military, firms, schools, states, or countries as the context for population-related behaviors.
Areas of focus include :
- Individual and family inequality
- Schools and colleges
- Organizations and firms
- Criminal justice system
- Military
Examples of current projects in these areas are listed here.
Built environment features mediate the relationship between neighborhoods' racial and ethnic composition and health outcomes
Quynh Nguyen and colleagues investigate this using Google Maps data
Broader approaches are necessary for formulating evidence-based climate policies
New research published by Alok Bhargava
Work in the time of COVID-19: social norms and pluralistic ignorance
Kreuter explores shifting attitudes surrounding work behaviors in employees and supervisors
The importance of parental engagement in learning activities for socioemotional development in low-income Black and Latinx youth
New publication by Natasha Cabrera and Jay Fagan uses latent growth curve modeling to investigate trajectories of mothers' and fathers' engagement
Hard times in economic data collection call for innovative data sourcing
Katharine Abraham argues for the inclusion of private sector big data to bolster survey and administrative data and tap into new questions
Profiles of caregiver racial-ethnic socialization found to promote academic engagement in Black and Latinx youth
Mia Smith-Bynum and others investigate how caregivers' responses to racial / ethnic discrimination relate to demographic characteristics and youth academic engagement
Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality
Associates Marian MacDorman and Marie Thoma, with colleagues Eugene DeClerq and Elizabeth Howell examine birth records
Another brick on the wall: On the effects of non-contributory pensions on material and subjective well being
Working paper by Faculty Associate Sebastian Galiani
Pandemic sees new business formation surge
Prof. John Haltiwanger uses Census data to analyze trends
Confronting Racism in Environmental Health Sciences
Commentary by Devon Payne-Sturges and others presents recommendations for a path toward eliminating racial inequities
Care Coordination for African American and Hispanic Adults with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
National Institute of Aging R01
Gender, Transport, and Employment in Mumbai
Maureen Cropper and colleagues examine mobility patterns and a gender gap
High Frequency Business Dynamics During COVID-19
John Haltiwanger and colleagues examine labor market issues using new Census data sets
Examining and Addressing COVID-19 Racial Disparities in Detroit
Governance Studies at Brookings paper
Using Big Data to measure discrimination impacts on birth outcomes
New National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities grant
Business Formation: A Tale of Two Recessions
Working paper by John Haltiwanger, with Ermin Dinlersoz, Timothy Dunne, and Veronika Penciakova
Improving Educational Equity and Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
Amy Lewin and Kevin Roy work with Montgomery County, Maryland, public schools
Engaging Women in the Market for Mobile Money
Faculty Associate Jessica Goldberg awarded National Science Foundation three-year grant to examine questions of participation and impact for women
Work mobility during COVID
NSF Rapid Response project will examine job restructuring, policy effects
Investigating Determinants of Educational Attainment and Achievement in Mexico
NSF award funds collaboration between scholars at the University of Maryland and the University of Pennsylvania to study the effects of supply-side and demand-side policies