Economic, Social, and Regional Barriers in Appalachian Migration A thesis presented to the faculty

142 Pages·2017·4.01 MB·English

Economic, Social, and Regional Barriers in Appalachian Migration

A thesis presented to
the faculty of
the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University

In partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Master of Arts

Jacklyn M. Hockenberry
August 2017
© 2017 Jacklyn M. Hockenberry. All Rights Reserved.
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This thesis titled
Economic, Social, and Regional Barriers in Appalachian Migration

by
JACKLYN M. HOCKENBERRY

has been approved for
the Department of Sociology and Anthropology
and the College of Arts and Sciences by

Cynthia Anderson
Professor of Sociology

Howard T. Welser
Associate Professor of Sociology

Robert Frank
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
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ABSTRACT
HOCKENBERRY, JACKLYN M., M.A., August 2017, Sociology
Economic, Social, and Regional Barriers in Appalachian Migration
Directors of Thesis: Cynthia Anderson and Howard T. Welser
Research suggests that Appalachian migration patterns mirror those of rural
migration patterns (Franklin 2003). The young, single, and highly educated tend to leave
less prosperous areas in search of economic advancement (Franklin 2003). Understanding
migration patterns sheds light on why rural areas might experience high rates of
outmigration and issues such as brain drain. However, there is no research examining the
migration patterns occurring within distressed and non-distressed regions of Appalachia.
My study examines predictors for migration including unemployment rates, age,
and educational attainment for distressed and non-distressed counties within Appalachia.
Results of regression analysis on county-level and individual-level variables suggest
unemployment and educational attainment rates affect migration possibilities out of
distressed counties. Additionally, the distressed status of a county can be used as a
predictor for migration mobility. Individuals who reside within distressed counties have
limited mobility due to the increased likelihood they will end up in a distressed county
later in life. Surprisingly, the age of an individual is not a predictor of which county
someone is likely to move. In other words, being within the work force age (25-39) does
not have a large impact on migration outcome.
Examining migration patterns for distressed and non-distressed counties of
Appalachia can help to build the literature regarding migration and provide more detail
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for which counties within Appalachia experience the most outmigration. By
understanding which counties are being affected most by migration, new policy can be
brought forward to improve residential retention and community life in Appalachian
communities.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to acknowledge my family and friends for always encouraging and
supporting me through this journey. Through the rollercoaster of ups and downs in
graduate school, all of you have been there to listen to my best successes and provide
advice when I was struggling. I could not have completed this milestone in my life
without your continued support.
To my committee, I want to thank you for being incredible mentors, colleagues,
and friends. This has been one of the greatest learning experiences I have had and I would
not change one minute of it. Each of you have provided me with advice, not only for this
project but for my future endeavors as well, that I greatly appreciate. You have pushed
me, challenged me, and shown me what I am capable of accomplishing. I am grateful to
have worked with all of you.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................... 5
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... 8
List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... 9
Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 10
1.1 Problem Statement ................................................................................................ 10
1.2 Overview of Thesis ............................................................................................... 13
Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 14
2.1 The Appalachian Region ....................................................................................... 14
2.2 Out-Migration ....................................................................................................... 18
2.2.1 Employment Opportunity ............................................................................ 18
2.2.2 Education ..................................................................................................... 25
2.3 In-Migration .......................................................................................................... 29
2.5 Summary ............................................................................................................... 30
Chapter 3: Methods ........................................................................................................... 31
3.1 Sample ................................................................................................................... 31
3.2 Measures ............................................................................................................... 33
3.2.2 Dependent Variables .................................................................................... 33
3.2.2 Independent Variables ................................................................................. 34
3.3 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 35
Chapter 4: Analysis and Results ....................................................................................... 39
4.1 Descriptive Statistics ............................................................................................. 39
4.2 Baseline Migration ................................................................................................ 42
4.3 Factors Shaping Migration .................................................................................... 45
4.4 Predicting Migration to a Distressed Appalachian County ................................... 52
4.5 Employment Rate .................................................................................................. 62
Chapter 5: Discussion ....................................................................................................... 68
5.1 Overview ............................................................................................................... 68
5.2 Hypothesis 1.......................................................................................................... 68
5.3 Hypothesis 2.......................................................................................................... 69
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5.4 Hypothesis 3.......................................................................................................... 70
5.5 Hypothesis 4.......................................................................................................... 71
5.6 Summary ............................................................................................................... 75
5.7 Future Research .................................................................................................... 75
5.7.1 Place Elasticity ............................................................................................. 77
Chapter 6: Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 79
References ......................................................................................................................... 81
Appendix A: List of States and Counties in the data set ................................................... 86
Appendix B: List of Age Categories in the Data Set Provided by the American
Community Survey ......................................................................................................... 141
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LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 1A. Descriptive Statistics ...................................................................................... 40
Table 1B. Descriptive Statistics with Created Variables ................................................. 41
Table 2A. Cross Tabulations All Cases ........................................................................... 44
Table 2B. Cross Tabulations All Cases Null Hypothesis ............................................... 44
Table 3. Cross Tabulations Results Non Appalachian Cases .......................................... 44
Table 4A. Cross Tabulations Results Appalachian Cases ............................................... 45
Table 4B. Cross Tabulations Results Appalachian Cases Null Hypothesis .................... 45
Table 5, Correlation for All Cases ................................................................................... 47
Table 6. Correlation for Appalachain Cases .................................................................... 51
Table 7. Moving to a Distressed Appalachian County All Cases .................................... 54
Table 8. Moving to a Distressed Appalachian County Appalachain Cases ..................... 58
Table 9. Moving to a Distressed Appalachian County: Unemployment Rate ................. 61
Table 10. Current Eployment Rate All Cases .................................................................. 64
Table 11 . Current Eployment Rate Appalachian Cases ................................................... 66
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LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 1. Map of the Appalachian Region ........................................................................ 14
Figure 2. ARC County Economic Status Designation by National Index Value Rank .... 16
Figure 3. County Economic Status in Appalachia, Fiscal Year 2017 ............................... 17
Figure 4. Appalachian Subregions Defined by the ARC. ................................................. 23
Figure 5. County Economic Status Defined by the ARC. ................................................ 23
Figure 6. Designated Distressed Counties 2006-2007 ...................................................... 73
Figure 7. Designated Distressed Counties 2008-2009. ..................................................... 74
Figure 8. Designated Distressed Counties 2010 ............................................................... 74
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Problem Statement
The Appalachian region has historically been characterized as economically
disadvantaged. One factor that could be attributing to the economic lag Appalachia
experiences is migration. Research suggests migration trends for the Appalachian region
tend to mirror those of other rural areas within the nation. Rural migration patterns
suggest that the young, single, and college educated are moving out of rural areas and
into urban settings (Franklin 2003). While individuals within this category are more
likely to migrate for several reasons, the most common explanation for migration is due
to economic opportunity (Franklin 2003).? What are the characteristics of the individuals
migrating out of Appalachian areas? How does a person’s residence within an
economically distressed area affect the opportunity or decision to migrate?
The community I have lived in has shaped my interest in migration and mobility
within the Appalachian region. I grew up in a small community, so small it is considered
a village. As you drive down the main street, approaching the single stoplight on the
other side of town, you will pass a small gas station, the local laundromat, and the trailer
court that is overshadowed by the abandoned grocery store whose sign stands rusted and
broken.
Everyone who resides within my village and the other small rural communities
around it attends the same local high school. The teachers know you based on your
family name and the siblings before you who have left their mark during their educational
career. After graduation, many people from my high school tend to stay local; some