This report provides an overview of the issues raised at the Young Children in Immigrant Families meeting that was held in Miami, Florida on January 18-19, 2006. The meeting brought together members of the foundation community to discuss critical issues related to promoting positive outcomes for young children in immigrant families. Based on the meeting panels and discussions, this report provides a brief description of recent demographic trends related to immigration and immigrant families and explores promising strategies that foundations could support to address challenges faced by young children in these families. AUTHOR Kinsey Alden Dinan, M.A., is a Research Associate at NCCP, where her focus is on research and analysis of state and federal policies that promote the economic security and well-being of low-income children and their families. Her areas of expertise also include U.S. immigration policy and issues related to immigrant families and their children. The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is the nation's leading public policy center dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America's low-income families and children. Using research to inform policy and practice, NCCP seeks to advance family-oriented solutions and the strategic use of public resources at the state and national levels to ensure positive outcomes for the next generation. Founded in 1989 as a division of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, NCCP is a nonpartisan, public interest research organization.

Are people who spend more time with others always happier than those who spend less time in social activities? Across four studies with more than 250,000 participants, we show that social time has declining marginal utility for subjective well-being. In Study 1 (N = 243,075), we use the Gallup World Poll with people from 166 countries, and in Study 2 (N = 10,387) the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), to show that social time has declining returns for well-being. In Study 3a (N = 168) and Study 3b (N = 174), we employ the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) to provide initial evidence for both intra-domain (principle of diminishing satisfaction) and inter-domain mechanisms (principle of satisfaction limits). We discuss implications for theory, research methodology, and practice.

The aim of this paper is twofold: (a) to define a new concept, the welfare loss that a society experiences due to the segregation of the demographic groups that comprise it and (b) to propose measures that quantify this phenomenon satisfying a set of normative properties. In aggregating the well-being losses (gains) of the groups derived for being concentrated in low-status (high-status) organizational units, this paper embraces the distributive approach adopted in the literature on economic deprivation and poverty. The advantages of these measures are shown by exploring the welfare losses that the United States has experienced from 1980 to 2012 due to occupational segregation by both gender and race/ethnicity. Our analysis shows that our measures reveal certain aspects of the phenomenon that do not emerge when using overall segregation measures. Thus, for example, while nothing seems to have changed in U.S. labor market in the last decade according to some well-known overall segregation measures, the social welfare loss due to segregation has actually increased.

Two important recent trends in most developing countries are the rise in female labor force participation and the closing of gender gaps in school enrollment. This article begins by exploring the causes of the increases in female education, which include greater job availability and policy interventions that have promoted girls’ education. The article then explores the causes of increased female employment, which include a sectoral shift from “brawn-based” industries to services, as well as policies that have increased girls’ education. The article also discusses the effects of these increases in female education and labor supply, particularly for the well-being of women.

This paper documents the sources of data used in the construction of the estimates of the Levy Institute Measure of Economic Wellbeing (LIMEW) for the years 1959, 1972, 1982, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2013. It also documents the methods used to combine the various sources of data into the synthetic dataset used to produce each year’s LIMEW estimates.

Commuting comes with costs, in terms of money, the opportunity cost of time, emotional burdens, and danger. Yet Americans take on considerably longer commutes than are strictly necessary. This suggests that longer commutes must have benefits, or that many people who take on long commutes are not maximizing their utility. This research seeks evidence for compensation for longer-duration commuting. It finds four possible sources. First, longer commutes are associated with higher wages. Second, longer commutes are associated with higher rates of homeownership, possibly in part because they facilitate suburban living. Third, long commutes may benefit spouses, since marriage is associated with longer commutes, although there is no association between commute duration and the presence of children in the household. Fourth, spouses of those with longer commutes are less likely to work, which appears to be due in part to higher wages for the worker. However, there is no evidence that a longer commute is associated with higher wages for the commuter’s spouse when the spouse works. Longer commute trips are not associated with poorer mood during the trip, but also are not associated with more emotionally fulfilling work. Finally, commute duration is not associated with life satisfaction, perhaps because the net benefits and costs of commutes are roughly equal across varying commute durations, or because the burdens and benefits of the commute are not strong enough to impact as broad a construct as life satisfaction. The absence of an association between well-being and commute duration suggests that people are doing a reasonable job of maximizing their utility when selecting home and work locations.

Does past migration matter for economic development in the long-term? Does an area’s history in migration affect economic performance long after the initial migration shock has faded away? And – does it matter what type of immigrant settles in a territory for the economic impact of migration to persist in time? This dissertation examines the long-term economic impact of migration, connecting migrant settlement patterns at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century to present day levels of income per capita. It firstly estimates the effect of different compositional features of the historical migrant stock on long-term economic development levels in the United States (US), a country founded and essentially formed by migrants. Secondly, it tests whether there is a link between past European and recent Latin American migration to the US to identify whether one potential transmission mechanism could be at play in transferring the migrants’ economic impact across time. The results of the analyses conducted using a variety of methods – OLS, IV, and panel data estimation techniques – provide three novel insights. Firstly, historical migrant stock is one of the very few historical county features that still explain current levels of development. In contrast to other factors, such as past income and education levels or industry structure, the influence of past migration on economic development does not seem to fade over the very long-term. Secondly, compositional aspects related to the historical migrant stock remain highly decisive for economic development outcomes more than 100 years later. The diversity of the migrant population, the gender balance, as well as the average distance travelled by the migrant stock over a century earlier still influence regional economic development levels today. All three features have growth-enhancing implications over the short as well as over the long-term. Lastly, past migration – irrespective of the presence of family connections, ethnic ties, or migration networks – shapes the geographical patterns of successive migration waves spanning multiple decades and even generations. An area’s migration history acts as a crucial pull factor for future migrants and is at the root of the formation of migration-prone and migration-averse regions. Consequently, previous migration contributes to ‘rework’ the places of destination, making them more attractive for future generations of migrants. All in all, the findings show that migration not only matters for economic development, but that its economic influence determines the success and prosperity of territories and the well-being of their inhabitants over the very long-term.

The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the literature on the impact of Complete Streets policies on individual well-being so that policy-makers can fully understand the outcomes of the polices they adopt. For the purposes of this paper, well-being is defined as work-life balance, income, social capital, and health outcomes. The empirical strategy, using fixed effects and difference-in-differences approaches to analyze American Community Survey and National Complete Streets Coalition data, attempts to show how Complete Streets policies and projects affect well-being outcomes including income and wage, usual hours worked per week, travel time to work, spousal relationship, and self-care difficulty in the past six months. The results of the Complete Streets policy analysis at the city-level were insignificant while the Complete Streets project analysis results at the community-level were generally significant. These results indicate that Complete Streets projects may have an impact on the well-being of individuals. This thesis provides evidence that policy-makers should consider the impact of Complete Streets on individuals during the policy deliberation process and confirms the need for further academic research on this topic.

Family recreation contributes to positive family health and well-being and plays an important role in promoting healthy youth development. The Family Activity Model posits that families seek out novel activity environments for recreation. National parks are novel environments and create opportunities for engaging in family recreation activities such as hiking. Therefore, we evaluate the reach of the “Every Kid in a Park” initiative of the U.S. National Park Service, which offers free admission to children in fourth grade and their guests. Using a large, nationally representative data sample from the American Time Use Survey, we conduct difference-indifferences analysis to determine whether hiking patterns by family members of fourth-graders have changed following the policy implementation. We find that hiking patterns have increased overall for family members of fourth-graders following the implementation of the initiative. Moreover, we find no evidence of effects being concentrated among specific socioeconomic groups.

This article investigates whether homeownership provides psychological benefits, particularly as mediated through the act of working on the dwelling. It examines whether work on the home potentially increases subjective well-being (SWB) for home occupants because such work improves the dwelling or because the work is fulfilling and promotes feelings of mastery and control. It also investigates whether homeowners are more likely to perform such work compared with renters. The article finds that homeownership is associated with somewhat elevated life satisfaction, but that homeowners tend to experience less intense positive affect than renters. Homeowners spend much more time working on the home than renters. Strong links between work on the home and life satisfaction are not found, but certain types of home work activities—such as interior or exterior decoration and repairs and yard work—tend to be experienced as psychologically meaningful. Gender also plays a role in the division of home labor and the psychological costs and benefits of homeownership and work on the home. Women are much more likely than men to clean the interiors of dwellings, an activity associated with poor affect. Men perform more of most of the other types of work on the home; in homeowning households these burdens tend to balance each other out, but in renting households there tends to be a dramatic disparity in terms of work on the home, raising concerns about gender inequity.

The association between physical activity and health is well documented, yet prior research has largely ignored the context of physical activity, including its specific type and the emotions experienced while engaged in that activity. This study used interview-based time diary data on 24,016 individuals who participated in the American Time Use Survey well-being modules in 2010, 2012, and 2013 to examine the associations between sedentary and moderately vigorous activities and self-reported health, and the extent to which momentary well-being modifies that association. Respondents who engaged in housework, leisure, or play with children reported better health whereas those who engaged in sedentary activity reported worse self-rated health. Respondents who spent more time in housework reported better health, but this was not the case for leisure or playing with children. Greater positive mood and fewer somatic symptoms while engaged in activity were associated with better self-rated health, with more consistent associations for symptoms than mood. Respondent reports of momentary well-being did not explain the link between activities and perceived or actual health. Keywords

Population aging is a marker of our success in both extending longevity and planning our reproduction. The demographic changes that result in the aging of the population also contribute to family change in aging societies. At the same time, changes in demographic behaviors, such as marriage and childbearing, have transformed the intergenerational structure of society. Each of these phenomena also has contributed to an increasing diversity of family forms, raising questions about societal and individual responsibility for well-being in old age. Countries vary in their approaches to social welfare, but even in the most generous ones, families remain the most tenacious and preferred sources . . .

This essay intends to revisit the path-breaking lines initiated in England,at the same time, by John Hajnal and Peter Laslett in 1965, particularly the question of “life-cycle service” as a pre-marital labour for women and men in past Europe. Many were the young ones who decided to live for some time as domestic servants under the authority of a master, far from home. Was this occupation a simple temporary job before marriage or a real work? To what extend was this labour “productive”? Was this occupation bringing some added value? Finally to what extend has this activity – that a serious proportion of servants, males and females, kept as they advanced in age – contributed to socio-economic and demographic changes, by producing care and well-being? Given major progresses in historical demography and family models, the state of the art is presented in the first section. The second part stresses the characteristics of living-in domestic service occupation in historical gender perspective, and related theoretical scholarly debates of major consequences at the global level. The third section, based on case studies, shows examples of the proportion of servants in past Europe, with the contrasts between urban and rural populations and the variations observed historically, mostly due to the development of labour markets, since servants’ tasks as helpers were, by definition, fully flexible, in the frame of private families and households, in spite of many official regulations.

The nonprofit Urban Institute is a leading research organization dedicated to developing evidence-based insights that improve people's lives and strengthen communities. For 50 years, Urban has been the trusted source for rigorous analysis of complex social and economic issues; strategic advice to policymakers, philanthropists, and practitioners; and new, promising ideas that expand opportunities for all. Our work inspires effective decisions that advance fairness and enhance the well-being of people and places.

Improving the well-being of young children is one of the most important investments a community can make. Infancy and toddlerhood are periods of rapid physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. During these years, children need nurturing care and appropriate stimulation from their family and friends, as well as community-, state-, and national-level programs and services to ensure positive present and future outcomes. Conversely, we know that negative early experiences (such as poverty), insufficient nurturing and stimulation, poor access to health care, and a lack of other important family supports can have lasting harmful impacts. Philadelphia has taken bold steps that acknowledge the importance of children’s earliest years to ensure a positive future for the city. New initiatives, led by both municipal government and the private, nonprofit sector, are elevating Philadelphia’s profile as a leader in lifting young children to the top of the civic agenda. Through these initiatives, leaders are working to foster crosssector collaboration to improve the long-term outcomes for young children. At the same time, the city and its residents continue to face stiff challenges. This is a time of transition for Philadelphia in many respects, as the city is experiencing changes in demographics, economic growth, housing patterns, and access to education. Philadelphia is simultaneously becoming a richer and poorer city. While poverty and deep poverty continue unabated, Philadelphia is experiencing residential growth (The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2017a)...

This dissertation explores the role of health and healthcare delivery for the well-being of individuals in retirement. The summary section provides an introduction to the themes explored throughout this dissertation. Chapters 1 and 2 consider public policies regarding long-term care delivery methods. The final chapter, chapter 3, explores how employer-provided retirement benefits and health interact to influence the retirement behavior and impact the well-being of the older population. This dissertation explores two important decisions facing older individuals- long-term care choices and retirement decisions. The findings in this dissertation are relevant to understanding the role of health status and public healthcare programs in well-being of the elderly. These will also help inform policy decisions regarding public provision of long-term services and design of policies incentivizing later retirement.

Taking into account the well-being losses or gains that each gender-race/ethnicity group has associated with its occupational sorting, this paper explores the social welfare loss that each U.S. large region experiences due to the different circumstances faced by these groups in each regional labor market. To analyze the period 1980–2012 in those terms, we use novel measures that aggregate the well-being losses or gains of the groups consistently with the literature on deprivation. To take into account that disparities among regions may arise from differences in characteristics, this papers uses a propensity score procedure that allows controlling for gender and racial/ethnic composition, immigration profile, educational level, and industrial structure.

This paper explores historical patterns of racial segregation and its relationship with the observed spatial variation in contemporaneous economic mobility established in Chetty et al. (2014). We combined data from the Equality of Opportunity Project with a novel measure of racial segregation developed in Logan and Parman (forthcoming) and find that past racial segregation explains a significant portion of the spatial variation in intergenerational mobility. These findings are consistent with models showing that persistent institutional factors may drive long-term outcomes across areas. Racial segregation and the environment that fosters it may diminish upward economic mobility by reducing access to networks, labor and capital markets, and political institutions. If so, then reducing the impact of these persistent processes may be key to mitigating current-day gaps in wealth, income, and overall well-being.

Stress is an event that can negatively affect the quality of life and the well-being of individuals in their workplace. Although it can be related to positive changes, its recurrence in the work environment can cause suffering in the individual and promote several types of diseases. Higher education is not free from this interference, since it is based fundamentally on the social relations that depend on the physical and emotional situation of agents in the academic universe--in particular, the teacher. This context directly affects the quality of teaching and, consequently, the capacity of the professionals trained in this environment. For this reason, several papers have been careful to understand this phenomenon, seeking ways to mitigate the negative effects produced by stress in teachers. Thus, considering the repercussion that the stress causes in the academic environment, the present study sought evidence in order to allow it to identify and analyze the levels of demand, control, and support exerted on the self-reported stress of students enrolled in the courses of Accounting Sciences of higher education institutions in Brazil. To do so, a data survey involving 714 teachers located in different regions of the country was conducted. These data were obtained with the use of the following instruments: Teacher Stress Inventory, to determine the level of stress perceived by teachers; DC-S, to specify the levels of demand, control, and organizational support; MBI, to measure the presence of burnout; Brief COPE, to indicate the prevalence of coping strategies; and UWES, to provide teachers' engagement levels. It was found that, on average, respondents reported a stress index of 82 points, measured by Teacher Stress Inventory, which represented 63% of the instrument's maximum score. With the use of DC-S, a significant level of demand (74% of the instrument) was observed, indicating that respondents feel that the academic environment is permeated by a high level of requirements. Also, it was noted that there were high levels of control for those demands (82% of the instrument), as well as for organizational support (78% of the instrument). These results resonate with the finding that teachers evaluate themselves with significant levels of professional efficacy (78% of the instrument) and low levels of exhaustion (48% of the instrument), and depersonalization (37% of the instrument), measures obtained through MBI. Regarding coping strategies, Brief COPE indicated that respondents are more inclined to adopt problem-oriented ones. From the data reported, teachers in the sample registered reasonable levels of engagement (77% of the UWES maximum level) being the indicator dedication the one with the highest score (82% of the instrument). Also, by means of inferential analysis, it was identified that the perception of demand levels, exhaustion, and use of coping strategy of social and emotional support type contributes positively to the perception of stress. In this same sense, the fact that the respondent is female and the condition of teaching only in the morning also has a positive influence. In the opposite direction, it was verified that the levels of perception of control and support in the organizational environment, the use of behavioral disinvestment coping strategies, and the use of chemical substances (as defined in Brief COPE), as well as the variables family income, teaching in the afternoon/evening or morning/evening, have a profession other than that of a teacher, and, finally, level of satisfaction with the students contribute negatively to the perception of stress. These results allow us to say that academic demands influence self-reported stress, but that this effect can be moderated by the perception of control of these demands and also by the present support in the work environment.