Migration and Residential Mobility Into Impoverished Rural Illinois Communities

"This dissertation examines the conditions and processes through which poor rural communities experience high rates of in-migration. Utilizing both a statewide regression analysis of migration rates in rural block groups and case studies of rural Illinois communities, it explores the causal mechanisms that initiate and maintain high rates of migration and residential mobility in these poor places. It investigates how the interplay of regional forces, community factors, and the life courses of migrants transforms rural communities from residentially stable to highly mobile, impoverished places. At the statewide level, this study used block group data from the 1990 Census to test a hypothesized model of migration into rural, impoverished Illinois block groups. The results indicate that even after controlling for employment structure and demographic characteristics, housing accessibility in the form of inexpensive rental housing is strongly associated with high levels of residential mobility and in-migration in impoverished rural block groups. The results of the case studies point to a multi-scalar process. At the community scale, poor rural communities with high percentages of affordable rental housing attract migrants. At the individual scale, migrants are drawn to these communities via social and kinship ties after ""forced migrations"" from their previous residence. These findings have implications for policies tackling rural development, housing, and poverty issues."

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geography

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Foulkes, Matthew Walton

Contributors dc:contributor

• K. Bruce Newbold

• Urban and Regional Planning

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3044088

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/85140