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WVU sociology professor pens journal article, contributes chapter to volume
Of neighborhoods, race and wealth
Dr. Rachael A. Woldoff, a West Virginia University assistant professor of sociology, has recently published a book chapter and journal article on race and wealth in America’s neighborhoods.
The chapter appears in the volume, “Wealth Accumulation and Communities of Color in the United States” (The University of Michigan Press), which contains pieces by sociologists, economists and others exploring the connection between wealth and well-being among different racial and ethnic communities.
“Living Where the Neighbors are Invested: Wealth and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Individuals’ Neighborhood Homeownership Rate,” is the title of Woldoff’s chapter, which examines the predictors of neighborhood rates of home ownership.
She’s found that racial differences in neighborhood home ownership 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 blacks – than it is for whites. The reason? Racial differences in housing markets allow only the wealthier Latinos and African Americans to gain access to stable neighborhoods, she said.
The article appears in the international journal “Crime Prevention and Community Safety.” That piece, “Emphasizing Fear of Crime in Models of Neighborhood Social Disorganization,” argues that fear of crime could and should be seen as a key cause of community decline.
Businesses and quality of life suffers as residents move from the community because of crime, she said. A community’s demographic characteristics can also trigger the fear that leads to poor relations among neighbors – which, in turn, generates more crime.
For more information, contact Woldoff at rachael.woldoff@mail.wvu.edu or at 304-293-5801, ext. 3211.
WVU’s Division of Sociology and Anthropology is part of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.