Economists generally consider intergenerational economic mobility to be an important feature of market economies, as it allows people born into poverty to achieve a measure of prosperity in the presence of minimal government intervention or redistribution. The empirical literature on mobility in the U.S. has, however, found evidence that mobility is lower than previously thought, and scholars have responded by developing expansive literatures on many aspects of intergenerational mobility, including studies of its origins. In this dissertation, I contribute to this strand of the literature by reviewing recent trends in the literature, with a particular emphasis on studies aimed at explaining the sources of mobility, and then discussing three empirical studies into specific sources of mobility, using data organized at different geographic and temporal scales. These empirical chapters focus on the role of different aspects of childhood poverty in determining income rank in adulthood, modeling variation in racial mobility gaps across different kinds of communities and local economies, and measuring the relationship between trends in intergenerational mobility and the structural transformation of agriculture in the 20th century U.S..

The present study examines the background of the Economic Opportunity Act in a local administrative structure. An extensive investigation is made of the Community Action Program of Laredo, Texas. The Community Action Program is a new approach which is still in the formative period and this receptive to constructive suggestions for change. Perhaps, it is hoped, this study will point the direction for such change, to the benefit of the long-run effectiveness of the poverty program as well as healthier interlocal relations.

From the time of the "war on poverty" of 1964, to the era of "welfare reform" in 1990s, the federal welfare system underwent a change from a model that acted to protect citizens from the vagaries of the market economy to one that mandated their participation in the paid labor force. For a shift in policy of this magnitude to occur and be unquestioningly accepted by the public, a significant change also had to occur in how poverty and welfare issues were discussed and perceived over the intervening years. Using discourse analysis, this study examines how editorials in elite newspapers framed the issues of poverty and welfare in the months prior to the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act (1964) and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (1996). It also addresses how newspaper editorials influenced public perception about the nature and causes of poverty and welfare reliance.

Mothers are especially vulnerable to the onset or recurrence of psychological symptoms during the postpartum period. However, protective psychosocial factors may provide a stress buffering effect and promote a positive adjustment trajectory. In this series of studies, qualitative, mixed, and psychometric development methods were utilized to examine the nature, process, and measurement of perceived social support among mothers disproportionately parenting in the context of low economic opportunity. Study 1 utilized narrative interviews to explore themes related to maternal adjustment. Thematic analysis uncovered three key developmental processes: 1) “Stretching Identity; Transitioning Roles”, 2) “Navigating Stressors; Approaching Self-Efficacy”, and 3) “Changing Relationships; Strengthening Support.” Negative maternal self-attributions emerged as a key target for supportive intervention. Study 2 utilized a mixed methods triangulation design to obtain complementary qualitative and quantitative data related to perceived maternal social support, and between-group comparisons according to economic opportunity were conducted. Notable patterns emerged; namely, mismatches between the type of functional support elicited (e.g., emotional support) and a supportive individual’s response style (e.g. problem solving), resulted in conflict and maternal distress. In addition, perceptions of the support provided by healthcare providers differed based on economic opportunity, with participants from the higher economic opportunity group perceiving interactions as emotionally and instrumentally supportive, and participants from the lower economic opportunity group perceiving interactions as instrumentally supportive only. Study 3 contributed to the psychometric development of a novel, brief, and visually legible measure of perceived maternal social support originally developed for use in neonatal intensive care unit settings. Among mothers delivering at term, the measure demonstrated acceptable internal reliability, and a weak yet significant association with an established measure of perceived social support. Though trending in the expected directions, the measure demonstrated weak, nonsignificant discriminant validity when compared via correlational analyses with established mental health measures. The measure demonstrated stability across ranges of economic opportunity and cognitive ability. These studies address gaps in understanding of the nature, process, and measurement of perceived maternal social support during the postpartum period. Collective findings highlight targets for supportive intervention to facilitate postpartum adjustment, and implications for research and practice.

The federal government has taken an increasingly active role in its involvement in public education since the turn of the twentieth century. Prior to World War II, federal intervention in public education was a result of war initiatives. Following World War II, the United States experienced a number of social and economic conditions that had implications for public education. Among these were a rapid increase in student enrollments resulting from the post World War II baby boom, continuing racial segregation, and chronic inferior education for African Americans and economically disadvantaged students of all races and ethnic groups. To combat the economic, social, and political implications associated with these conditions, the federal government worked with states and local departments of education to formulate plans for educational reform. During the 1960s, federal aid to public schools grew from half a billion dollars in 1960 to 3.5 billion in 1970 (Kantor & Lowe, 1995). Federal aid was increased to provide support for educational facilities and to provide compensatory educational programs for economically disadvantaged students through Head Start of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Educators were encouraged to develop programs to meet the needs of the minority, disadvantaged, and special education populations through the provisions of these acts and subsequent appropriations. This is the report of a historical study of the federal response to the needs of the identified students as implemented through Roanoke County Public Schools. The purpose of this study is to provide a historical account of the development of Head Start and Title I programs in Roanoke County Public Schools within the national context of Head Start and Title I programs. The potential impact of this study includes a greater understanding of the influences that led to the development of Head Start and Title I at the national level and the subsequent educational services implemented through Head Start and Title I programs in Roanoke County Public Schools. / Ph. D.