Date of Award
1-1-2013
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Shelley A Smith
Abstract
This study examines how the new urban economy has transformed the structures that impact individual earnings opportunities across place. Using data from the 1990 and 2000 Census, this study is based on two multi-level data sets, each reporting characteristics for approximately 2 million individuals nested within more than 200 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). This study examines how inequality varies across MSAs in the US. Associations between MSA-level characteristics, including proportion of employment in new economy sectors, earnings, educational attainment, and inequality, are tested. Strong evidence is found demonstrating strong and statistically significant correlations between new economy indicators and MSA-level inequality, which is measured through an MSA-level Gini index and an earnings ratio. In the last portion of the study, hierarchical linear modeling, which makes it possible to test and control for cross-level interactions, is used to examine how these indicators shape individual earnings across place.
Rights
© 2013, Colby R King
Recommended Citation
King, C. R.(2013). Inequality and Opportunity At theMsa-Level: Investigating Place As A Structure of Inequality Shaping Mobility and Earnings. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1929