Progress 11/15/01 to 11/14/06
Outputs
The findings reported here have been documented in seven peer review publications, one thesis, and two doctoral dissertations. The findings show that between October 1996 and July 2004, the vast majority of recipients (96%) in Mississippi transitioned off TANF within 2 years. This finding clearly suggests the TANF policy (2-year time limit) is pushing clients off public assistance as, in the past, only two-thirds would exit within the same amount of time. We found that welfare clients experience more than one episode (spell) of TANF receipt. In our study there were a total of 141,223 spells, of which 46,758 (33%) were return spells. However, only a small number of recipients exhausted the 5-year time limit (0.3 percent). Our findings also show that after controlling for individual background characteristics and local conditions, recipients were especially disadvantaged in non-metro areas with high concentration of poverty and minority groups. As expected, we find that
communities rather than counties better capture the extent to which local conditions influence TANF participation rates Findings also indicate that individual and local conditions differentially affect exit from TANF for African American and white recipients. The effect of age was significantly smaller for African Americans than whites. In contrast, the effect of educational attainment was stronger for African Americans than whites, suggesting educational attainment differentiates among African Americans more than whites in exiting TANF. Another important difference was that, among whites, an additional child increases the odds of leaving TANF. For African Americans the number of children was unrelated to TANF exit. Although the odds of exit related to presence of children age less than five was similar for African Americans and whites, children ages six to sixteen increase the odds of exit more for African Americans. African American exits from TANF were influenced more by local
conditions than were white exits. African Americans were less likely to exit TANF when they were in communities with poor spatial socioeconomic conditions. In contrast, they have higher odds of exit if they live in communities with higher levels of faith-based activeness to help the needy. More time spent on TANF significantly reduces the odds of exit for whites, more so than for African Americans; the effect of number of spells was stronger for African Americans than whites. Interviews with 60 TANF clients from Coahoma and Lee county were conducted to determine how extreme differences in local conditions affected welfare dynamics and how clients made welfare decisions. Only a few women were aware of and concerned about time limits. The sentiment among welfare clients was that work, rather than marriage was the preferable route off welfare. In both counties, recipients stated that they began using welfare after the loss of a job, but did not directly equate becoming a mother with
welfare dependency. Dependency was the result of lack of jobs in the area, child support and other forms of family assistance.
Impacts
The major impact of this study is that it provides relevant information on the current debate on welfare reform. African American and white TANF recipients are very diverse, not only in their demographic characteristics, but also in the local conditions in which they are situated. Local labor markets, local faith-based activeness, along with social relations across class and racial lines, shape the opportunities for African Americans and whites, and may cause differences in their outlook on the future and their decision-making processes relative to TANF use. The study provides six recommendations relevant for policy makers addressing the issue of spatial inequality between and within geographic settings: (1) rural recipients are especially disadvantaged in areas such as the Delta; (2) minority groups are more disadvantaged than their white counterparts; (3) African Americans are more likely to benefit from investment in human and social capital; (4) time limits can
only work when clients understand the implications of banking eligibility; (5) family formation, especially marriage, is viable only under healthy economic circumstances; (6) administrative records provide an ideal tool to examine TANF trends across communities and geographic settings.
Publications
- Parisi, D., Harris, D., Grice, S. M., Taquino, M., and Gill, D. A. 2005. Does the Work First Initiative Make a Difference for Low Income People? Journal of Poverty 9(1):65-81.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/30/04
Outputs
As stated in the project work schedule, construction and management for the hierarchical linear modeling was completed. Specifically, during this time preliminary models were examined to determine how differences in geographic units might lead to different analytical outcomes in the analysis of TANF participation. We also completed the case studies of two communities - one in the Northeast and one in the Delta. Personal interviews have been transcribed and been analyzed. We are also in the process of writing the final report.
Impacts
This project will help to determine the spatial aspects of welfare use in rural settings as they are related to geographic units such as communities, counties, labor market areas and geo-political regions.
Publications
- Parisi, D., McLaughlin, D.K., Grice, S.M., Taquino, M. 2004. (Under Review) Exiting TANF: Individual and Local Factors and Their Differential Influence Across Racial Groups. Social Science Quarterly.
- Parisi, D., Grice, S.M., Taquino, M. and Gill, Duane A. 2005. Community Concentration of Poverty and its Consequences on Nonmetro County Persistence of Poverty in Mississippi. Sociological Spectrum, forthcoming.
- Parisi, D., Harris, D., Grice, S.M. and Gill, D.A. 2005. Does the Work-First Initiative Make a Difference for Low Income People? Journal of Poverty, forthcoming.
- Parisi, D. Identifying, Measuring, and Comparing Communities: Building Community Capacity for Reducing Poverty. 2004. Presented at the annual meetings of the Rural Sociological Society, August 11-15, Sacramento.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
As stated in the project work schedule, construction of the TANF person-month records on individual and community characteristics for survival analysis was completed in year one. Specifically, during this time we accomplished the following: (1) merged all individual monthly files from October 1996 to October 2001; (2) generated spell length and transition indicators for all spells; (3) developed community id's through a TANF geocoding process; and (4) merged community and county secondary data to individual-level data. The data at the community and county level included monthly unemployment data from October 1996 to October 2001; 1990 Decennial Census data; 1999 key-informant data to measure community actions toward helping the needy since 1990; 1998 American Business directory data; and 1997 Department of Commerce data. During this time, we also classified communities and counties with respect to economic and social advantage or disadvantage. In 2003, we conducted
the survival analysis on the completed data set. In addition, ethnographic interviews of TANF clients were conducted.
Impacts
This project will help to determine the dynamics of exit and reentry onto TANF. Specifically, TANF spell durations across different rural and urban geographic settings and racial differences were determined. The project provides information to the State to improve the administration of TANF benefits, thus enhancing the well-being of impoverished citizens. Project findings may also impact national welfare programs and policies.
Publications
- Harris, D.A., Parisi, D., Grice, S.M. and Taquino, M. 2003. Welfare-to-work and family formation strategies since welfare reform. Paper presented at the annual meetings of the Southern Sociological Society, New Orleans, LA.
- Parisi, D., Gill, D.A., Grice, S.M., Harris, D.A., and Taquino, M. 2003. The impact of welfare reform in Mississippi. Social Science Roundtable, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University.
- Parisi, D., McLaughlin, D.K., Grice, S.M. and Taquino, M. 2003. Rural development in the era of welfare reform. Paper presented at the annual meetings of the Rural Sociological Society, Montreal, Canada.
- Parisi, D., McLaughlin, D.K., Grice, S.M. and Taquino, M. 2003. Urban-rural differences in TANF spell duration. Paper presented at the annual meeetings of the Southern Sociological Society, New Orleans, LA.
- Parisi, D., Gill, D.A. and Harris, D.A. 2003. Community capacity and food insecurity in the era of welfare reform. Unit for Community and Environmental Studies, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University.
- Parisi, D., Grice, S.M. and Taquino, M. 2003. Poverty and inequality in the context of welfare reform. Social Problems Forum: The SSSP Newsletter. 334(2):19-21.
- Sharp, J.S. and Parisi, D. 2003. Devolution: who's responsible for rural America? in Brown, D.L. and Swanson, L.F., eds. Challenges for rural America in the 21st century. Pennsylvania State University Press.
- Parisi, D., McLaughlin, D.K., Grice, S.M., Taquino, M. and Gill, D.A. 2003. TANF participation rates: do community conditions matter? Rural Sociology. 68(4):491-512.
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
As stated in the project work schedule, construction of the TANF person-month records on individual and community characteristics for survival analysis was completed in year one. Specifically, during this time we accomplished the following: (1) merged all individual monthly files from October 1996 to October 2001; (2) generated spell length and transition indicators for all spells; (3) developed community ids through a TANF geocoding process; and (4) merged community and county secondary data to individual-level data. The data at the community and county level included monthly unemployment data from October 1996 to October 2001; 1990 Decennial Census data; 1999 key-informant data to measure community actions toward helping the needy since 1990; 1998 American Business directory data; and 1997 Department of Commerce data. During this time, we also classified communities and counties with respect to economic and social advantage or disadvantage.
Impacts
This part of the project will help to determine the dynamics of exit and reentry onto TANF. Specifically, TANF spell duration across different rural and urban geographic settings were determined.
Publications
- Parisi, D., McLaughlin, D.K., Grice, S.M., Taquino, M. and Gill, D.A. 2003 "TANF Participation Rates: Do Community Conditions Matter?" Rural Sociology.
- Parisi, D., McLaughlin, D.K., Taquino, M., Grice, S.M. and White, N.R. 2002. "TANF/Welfare Decline and Community Context in the Rural South, 1997-2000." Southern Rural Sociology 18(1):154-185.
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