Sociology professor publishes book chapter, magazine article

Morgantown, WV, November 27, 2006:  Dr. Rachael A. Woldoff, assistant professor of sociology in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, has recently published both a book chapter and a journal article about her research on neighborhoods.

Many U.S. social scientists, including Woldoff, believe that wealth plays an important role in the lives of Americans, but note that the effect of wealth varies by race and ethnicity. The edited volume “Wealth Accumulation and Communities of Color in the United States” (The University of Michigan Press) contains articles by sociologists, economists, and others who are interested in the connection between wealth and well-being among different racial and ethnic communities.

In her chapter on neighborhood quality, “Living Where the Neighbors are Invested: Wealth and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Individuals’ Neighborhood Homeownership Rate,” Woldoff examines the predictors of neighborhood rates of homeownership. Woldoff has found that racial differences in neighborhood homeownership rates remain even after taking individual levels of education and income into account. Woldoff also suggests that the effect of wealth is greater for minority groups, such as Latinos and African Americans, than it is for whites because racial differences in housing markets allow only the wealthier Latinos and African Americans to gain access to stable neighborhoods.

Woldoff has also recently published an article in an issue of the international journal “Crime Prevention and Community Safety.” Woldoff’s article, “Emphasizing Fear of Crime in Models of Neighborhood Social Disorganization” argues that fear of crime should be seen as a key cause of community decline.

Woldoff says that fear of crime interferes with communities in two major ways. First, crime itself can cause fear which can lead to residents to withdraw from the community, reduce supervision of residents, and stop participating in local organizations. In addition, fear can hurt businesses in a community and trigger massive population changes. Secondly, a community’s demographic characteristics can trigger fear which then leads to poor neighbor relations, and hence, more crime.

For more information about her research, please contact Woldoff at rachael.woldoff@mail.wvu.edu or at 304-293-5801, ext. 3211.

W-V-U