Michigan State University Extension
Issue Identification Information - II493006
10/01/94
America and Michigan face social issues ranging from poverty and violence to populations at risk and the public health issues of AIDS and substance abuse. As there is a greater societal recognition of the huge diversity of our people and lifestyles, issues surface that were previously ignored. This heightened consciousness of problems is a positive development as we are committed to their solution.
Lifestyles and Family Values
Lifestyles and family values in Michigan are changing. The traditional two-parent household with the husband as the only breadwinner and the wife staying home with the children is becoming less common. Marriage rates are declining and children are increasingly living in single- parent families, often headed by women.
- Because women earn less than men, families headed by women are disproportionately poor. Women earn on the average about 60 percent of what men earn. Furthermore, the rate of births to unmarried teen-age, who are most likely to be poor, is higher than ever and climbing.
Spirituality
While mainline religion declines, American interest in religious and spiritual matters has grown. Many baby boomers who once rebelled against organized religion are returning to it as their children reach school age, while others are pursuing their own personal spiritual experiences.
Poverty
Common beliefs about child poverty are frequently inaccurate, according to the Children's Defense Fund, in the United States:
- Only one in three poor children is black.
- Two in five poor children are in families with a father present.
- About two out of three poor families with children have at least one worker in the family.
- Two of three poor families with children have only one or two children.
- Two of five poor children live in families with incomes less than half the poverty threshold.
- More poor children live outside central cities than inside them (one in five American families live in rural areas, but one in three poor families live in rural areas).
- Only one in seven poor children is a black or Latino child living in a female-headed family on welfare in a central city.
More families in Michigan are suffering from poverty, and children are affected more than any other group. Poverty among children increased during the '80s in large and small cities throughout the state. Michigan cities led the nation in increases in child poverty, with 10 of its major cities having more than a third of their children in poverty.
- The percentage of black children under 5 living in poverty exceeded 60 percent in Michigan in 1989, according to the most recent U.S. census reports. Social service needs for poor families will continue to increase, but so will the opposition to tax increases to pay for the services.
- The industrial decline in Michigan and the reduction in state support for social programs have resulted in increased unmet needs. Homelessness is increasing throughout the state, as persistent high unemployment results in more housing foreclosures. The traditional expectations of a job with an adequate wage, a home that you own and a college education for your children are becoming more difficult to achieve. Michigan is becoming a poorer state.
- Most of the new jobs being created in the state are in the low-paying service sector. Therefore, even when some unemployed people find jobs, the pay is often very low - $10,000 or less per year. Thus, many Michigan residents (especially the low-skilled) find themselves working hard every day but earning an income below the poverty level.
- The economic opportunities that made possible a measure of social and geographic mobility for the parents of most Michigan residents are becoming more elusive. The American dream of upward mobility is being shattered, and the hope for a better life for one's children has been eroding.
Housing
Michigan, like the rest of the nation, is in the midst of a housing crisis. It hinges on the high costs of housing in large cities and across the rural landscape. Michigan's young people and moderate income citizens - people making less than $35,000 a year - often cannot afford to buy homes, and this is negatively affecting the quality of the state's housing stock and fostering homelessness in urban centers, suburban communities and farming communities. In essence, Michigan's housing problems are related to affordability, adequacy and availability.
- Michiganians, like many Americans, place high value on home ownership. Over the past two decades, we have seen Michigan's home ownership rate decline, though it remains one of the highest in the nation. During the 1970s, housing prices began escalating faster than incomes. While the median price of housing in 1970 was $23,000, by 1989 the median price of housing had escalated to $93,000 for an existing home and $120,000 for a new home. Compounding the problem were increases in interest rates to purchase homes, more stringent down payment requirements, higher energy costs, higher furnishing, decorating and remodeling costs, and higher costs for basic maintenance and repair tasks. All of these price increases changed home affordability standards.
- As a result, the average family, making $29,000 in 1989, felt that few affordable housing choices were available to them. Exacerbating the problem were rents, which, by the late '80s and early '90s, were at historically high levels, too. Many with moderate incomes and below were simply forced out of the housing market. Young people began returning to their parents' homes. Some households doubled up, while others were forced onto the streets, and others remained in rental situations paying the unprecedented high rents that prevented them from saving for a down payment.
- The interrelationship between affordability and quality and availability problems also became apparent by the early 1990s. From 1950 through the mid-1970s, when housing was more affordable, the quality of Michigan's housing stock constantly increased. During these years, our state's moderate-income families, through the purchase of higher quality affordable homes, were able to trade up to better housing. The units they vacated, in turn, filtered down to lower-income families.
- Currently, because both young and moderate income families are shut out of the ownership market, higher quality units are not filtering down to lower-income households, so that lower quality housing stock continues to be in use.
- At the same time that the poor are continuing to live in this lower-quality housing, huge numbers of dwelling units are being removed from the existing low-cost supply. They are being converted to other uses or abandoned for a variety of reasons, such as tax foreclosures; still others are being demolished as eyesores or because they are used by drug dealers in poor neighborhoods. Some see losing these mostly run-down, lower-cost dwellings as positive, but it has resulted in less low-cost housing being available for the poor, who become today's homeless in both rural and urban centers of Michigan. In cities, they live on the streets. In rural areas, they live in state or national parks or at rest stops along interstate highways. If they are fortunate, they move in with other family members.
- A multipronged approach is needed to solve Michigan's housing problems. Communities need to combine community and economic development plans with housing plans. Young people and moderate income households need the opportunity to purchase affordable housing. These households need education about the affordable alternatives available, and they need to know how to shop for and finance those alternatives. They also need to know how to take care of that housing once they obtain it. The poor and homeless will benefit indirectly once filtering begins working again. But, to help them become contributing members of the community, we need to tackle the problems directly as a way to mainstream these families and improve communities' economic and physical well-being.
Diversity
Michigan, like the rest of the nation, continued a trend toward increasing racial and ethnic diversity. In 1980, about 85 percent of Michigan's population was white. By 1990, this had dropped to about 83 percent. In 1990, about 14 percent of Michigan residents were African-American, 0.6 percent Native American, and 1.1 percent Asian or Pacific Islander. The change was greatest for the Asian-American population, which increased 85 percent during the 1990s.
This increasingly diverse population is also reflected in the diversity of lifestyles and perspectives that exists in the United States, in general, and in Michigan in particular. Some important issues related to diversity are:
- Economic restructuring: the change in the U.S. and global economy continues to affect minorities disproportionately in Michigan. The fastest growing occupational sectors will be executive, administrative and managerial; engineering and other technical professions; service occupations, and marketing and sales occupations. Jobs will be available for people at all educational levels, but those with higher levels of education will have greater options. Blacks, Hispanics and other minorities tend to be concentrated in occupations with the slowest growth rates. Further, minorities are more likely to be displaced from jobs because of economic restructuring and face the future with a lower sense of financial well-being than non-minorities. Consequently, there is a growing disparity in the distribution of income between minorities and non-minorities.
- The majority of people in poverty are female, white and young, but minorities are more vulnerable and likely to be poor.
- The most recent census data show that the median household income for whites in 1989 was $32,463, compared with $18,851 for blacks, a difference of $13,612. Asians in Michigan had the highest median household income with $38,327 : i.e., $5,864 more than whites. Hispanics earned an average of $26,939 and Native Americans, $21,738. The gap between black and white median household incomes widened during 1979-89.
- Not only are blacks the lowest paid among all the racial/ethnic groups in the state, but blacks are also the most residentially segregated. Blacks are overrepresented in central cities and underrepresented in the suburbs, due in part to economic forces and racial migration and because of racial discrimination in housing, which persists despite the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act and Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
- As the proportion of minorities increases in society, it is to be expected that their influence will continue to increase. We increasingly see respect for diversity among the American people. Minorities can be expected to seek increasing political influence.
- The need for more diversity in education is growing. As the American people's respect for diversity increases, educational curricula will need to be reexamined and corrected for omissions and distortions. A growing proportion of school-age children are from minority groups, and this trend will continue. Demands for adequate education for these children will increase.
- Expect increasing diversity in the labor force. Women's active economic role in the workplace will continue. This changes the nature of child care, from family-centered to professional providers. In addition, this extends demands on services and industries to be available. These include schools, which have expanded their role, as centers for before- and after-school care. Roles in parenting and household tasks are also changing as a result of this. Families also are having fewer children, as women in the labor force delay and limit the number of pregnancies.
American Indian Concerns
The lifestyle of Native Americans has been characterized as "living on the edge," and American Indians have been described as the "poorest of the poor," persons struggling for economic survival.
- Forty-nine percent of all Indian families live at or below the poverty level. Eighty-two percent of female heads of households on reservations and 57.5 percent of off-reservation heads of households live at or below the poverty level. Marriage rates are on the decline, with increasing numbers of children living in single-parent families.
- The median family income for American Indians was $15,91, compared with $22,841 for all residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 1985 update. Unemployment for American Indians averages 54 percent.
- American Indian children make up a disproportionate share of children in foster care; the number of Indian children in out-of-home placement is steadily increasing. Mortality rates for Indians are three times the national average. White males and females are three or four times more likely to enroll in college than are Indian males and females.
- Michigan's Indian population is composed mainly of the working poor who lack training and skills. The bulk of Indian employment is concentrated in low-paying service jobs, and prospects for future improvements are dim. Indians find themselves working hard only to remain below the poverty level.
The Indian Family
The Indian family exists within the context of the clan (extended family), the tribe and the community. The greatest strengths of the Indian family are child-rearing practices.
- All adult members of the community serve in parental roles as elders, care givers and educators. Grandparents in the Indian community have a special role: they pass on relevant cultural values and spiritual beliefs that help the children develop their identity within the community.
Tribal Sovereignty and Governance
Indian tribes occupy a unique place in the American governmental and legal system.
- One of the most talked about issues has been tribal sovereignty as it relates to state-tribal relations. Initially, Indian tribes were recognized as independent and sovereign governments, and the primary method of interacting with them was via the treaty process, process as that used to conduct business with foreign governments.
- Today, most Indian tribes are self-governing and exercise power over tribal members and have limited power over non-members on the reservations. Tribes exist today as separate governments withing the federal system through a trust relationship with Congress. Although the tribes are subject to congressional review, they remain for the most part independent of state government control.
- Tribes function like most municipal governments, with the tribal council making laws that govern the reservation and its members. Tribal councils are chaired by a chief or tribal chairperson who is elected by the general membership.
- An issue of concern in Michigan is the lack of a legislative committee on Indian affairs. A committee similar to the House Committee on Interior and Insider Affairs of the U.S. Congress could serve as a source of information and education for lawmakers and provide the tribes direct access to the state legislature. Both Minnesota and Wisconsin have systems that could serve as models and provide a mechanism that allows the tribes an opportunity to comment on pending legislation that potentially has an impact on Indians and tribes.
Children, Youth and Risk
The plight of American children is of growing concern, while their quality of life is increasingly diminished. As reported in 1992 by the Children's Defense Fund, children of the United States are increasingly likely to:
- Grow up in poverty (children are twice as likely to be poor as adults).
- Be born to unmarried mothers.
- Be born as drug-exposed infants, without access to quality specialized treatment.
- Have no family health insurance.
- Be placed in the foster care system (in the United States, the number of children in foster care has increased by 50 percent over the past few years).
- Run away from home before age 18.
- Be abused or neglected.
In the communities of Michigan, children and adolescents are dying - from violence, from drug and alcohol use and abuse, from unsafe sex, from poor nutrition, and from persistent and pervasive poverty. And, if our children are not dying, their life chances are being squandered - by school failure, underachievement and dropping out; by crime; by teen-age pregnancy and parenting; by lack of job preparednes; by prolonged welfare dependency; and by the feelings of despair and hopelessness that pervade the lives of children whose parents have lived in poverty and who see themselves as having little opportunity to do better - that is, to have a life marked by societal respect, achievement and opportunity. Simply put, Michigan is wasting its most precious resource: the human capital represented by its children.
- This destruction of human capital cuts across race, ethnicity, gender, and rural or urban environments. Indeed, based on national data, a conservative estimate is that at least half the children and youths in Michigan are at moderate or greater risk of engaging in behaviors that severely limit their life chances. In addition, the number of our children living under the structural constraints of persistent and pervasive poverty is increasing each year.
- To illustrate, data in the 1992 Kids Count Data Book, published by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, indicate that during the late 1980s, the percentage of children living in poverty in the United States increased by 22 percent. Indeed, this national trend was present in 40 states. Michigan, however, witnessed the most dramatic increase in child poverty: during the 1980s, the child poverty rate in increased by 49 percent.
- Across the decade, child poverty increased in Flint by 83 percent - the largest increase seen in any large American city. By the end of the 1980s, a higher percentage of children lived in poverty in Detroit than in any other city in the United States: 46.6 percent.
- About one in five Michigan children, approximately half a million children, live in poverty. Moreover, the probability of being a poor child is not equal across racial or ethnic groups. In Michigan and the nation, the probability of being poor is much greater among African- American and Latino children than it is among European-American children.
- During the 1980s, Michigan provided its children with a quality of life that was exceeded by 38 other states in the nation. This poor national ranking was due to an 11 percent increase in the percentage of low-birthweight babies born in the state; an 18 percent increase in the rate of violent deaths among teen-agers; a 25 percent increase in the percentage of births to unwed teen-agers; a 29 percent increase in the juvenile custody rate among 10- to 15-year-olds; an 18 percent decrease in the percentage of youths graduating from high school; and a 19 percent increase in the percentage of Michigan's children living in single-parent families.
- Given the number of Michigan's children that today are are at such profound levels of risk, our state is faced with a crisis so broad that its entire fabric is in serious jeopardy. It is not just some of Michigan's children that are at risk, or just some Michigan communities that face the problems of losing much of their next generation. All of Michigan's children are at risk.
- Though it is perhaps fair to note that not enough is being done within our state to redress these critical problems, it is also important to indicate that significant and innovative actions are occurring. Across the state, coalitions are being formed by citizens from all walks of life: groups are being formed by community and private foundations; the business sector; private, non-profit organizations; local, state and federal governmental agencies; educational institutions; citizen advocacy groups; and community members whose lives, and whose children's lives, are most affected by the current dimensions and levels of risk in our nation. Some key examples of such coalitions are "Michigan's Children" and the Michigan State University community liaisons being formed under the aegis of such units as Michigan State University Extension and the Institute for Children, Youth, and Families. It may be appropriate to label the 1990s as the "decade of community coalitions for Michigan's children."
Aging Population: Opportunities and Challenges
The aging population in Michigan represents tremendous challenge and potential. Adapting the state's social, economic, educational and physical environments (e.g., housing, transportation) to meet the needs of Michigan citizens and using increasingly scarce resources in an integrative and intergenerational manner are two challenges before us. Issues of gender and ethnicity are of particular concern.
People are living longer and the population as a whole is aging. The "graying of America" is expected to continue through the mid-21st century, bringing opportunities and challenges for older adults, families and communities.
- By the year 2000, there will be over 410 million elderly persons in the world. Currently, in the United States and in Michigan, individuals 65 and older represent 20 percent of the population. Those age 65 and older make up more than 12 percent of our citizens. The median age of Michigan's older population is 68 years, with 28.5 percent over 75.
- The fastest growing age groups, sometimes referred to as the old-old (75+) and the oldest-old (85+), are the most in need of family and community support and services.
- In the 21st century, as baby boomers reach older adulthood, one in every five Americans will be over age 65.
Adults age 65 and over are a widely diverse group. Twenty newborns are much more similar than twenty 80 year olds. The majority of older people are white and female, but males and racial and ethnic minorities are also experiencing longer lifespans.
- Diversity exists in life experiences, activities and talents. Urban and rural living, health status, income and education are other factors that influence differences. Diversity among older adults requires careful planning to meet support and service needs.
Living Arrangements for Elders
Most elders live in family settings, either with spouses or other relatives, though 40 percent of older women and 15 percent of older men live alone. Affordable, quality housing for older singles and couples is limited. Lack of housing, restricted transportation and lack of other services that support independent living can force elders into institutions.
As people live longer and incomes diminish, failure to maintain housing occurs further eroding the quality of housing occupied by elders.
About 10 percent of the homeless population is elderly. Older homeless citizens are commonly ignored by current senior programs.
Of those age 65 and over, 5 percent live in nursing, foster care or old-age homes. The possibility of living in an institutional setting increases dramatically with age. One in four elders age 85 and over lives in such facilities.
- The quality and cost of institutional living vary widely, and higher costs does not necessarily mean better care.
- More long-term care options are needed. Communities must organize to provide and monitor care that enables elders to live as independently as possible.
Health and Well-Being of Elders
Health is a critical factor in determining quality of life for older adults. Most elders, especially those in their 60s and 70s, are in relatively good health. With advancing age, health decline becomes more prominent.
Our society must face the issue of balance between resource use for services to enhance independence and family caregiving vs. expenditures for high cost, high-tech procedures with questionable quality of life outcomes. Additionally, in a state with high infant mortality rates, more efficient and effective use of resources must ensure intergenerational equity and good health over the lifespan. (See health care ethics.) http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modii/masterii/II493009 (http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modii/masterii/II493009 .html)
- Chronic conditions such as arthritis, heart disease and diabetes increase with age. Such conditions can be managed to minimize negative effects on daily living.
- Access to appropriate and affordable health services continues to be a priority goal in most communities.
Medicare and Medicaid programs began in 1965. These programs cover about two-thirds of health care costs for older adults.
- Medicare is a general program covering older adults. It is primarily for acute care, as opposed to the long-term care often required for chronic illnesses.
- Medicaid covers the needy poor who meet specific eligibility requirements. At present, 13 percent of older adults depend on Medicaid.
- Changing regulations and federal and state funding cutbacks are increasing the cost of medical care for elders and their families, and fueling fears about declining health.
Family members, most often spouses and adult daughters, provide over 80 percent of long-term care. Communities must find ways to support family caregivers who enable elderly relatives to live outside of institutions. Caregiving has physical, emotional and social stresses, as well as satisfactions.
The increase in numbers of older adults means more elders requiring mental health services. Depression, organic brain disorders, alcohol and drug-related disorders, and suicide are significant problems among elderly persons. Contrary to popular myth, most mental health disorders among older adults can be successfully treated.
Financial Factors Affecting Elders
Social Security, supplemental security income, retirement pensions and laws prohibiting age discrimination in employment have improved the financial situation of many elderly people. Not all have benefitted equally. Approximately 12 percent of Michigan's older population live below the poverty level. Older women, minorities and elders living alone have higher rates of poverty.
- Many older adults work part-time or begin other jobs after retirement. Numerous retired persons are facing reductions in pensions and fringe benefits. Encouraging rather than penalizing elder workforce participation, particularly as Michigan moves from an industrial to a service/information economy, must be considered. It will become even more important to reverse the "living longer and working shorter" trend as the proportion of elders in the population continues to rise.
- Family structure has changed much faster than the public policies necessary to provide adequate support. High divorce rates resulting in single-parent families and step-families or blended families complicate family relationships and stretch scarce human and material resources. In spite of increasing uncertainty about family relationships, older persons often serve as a tremendous resource for children and grandchildren facing unsettling family transitions. Changes in social and family structure also complicate elder caregiving, as women, the primary nurturers, try to balance increased work and family obligations of aging parents.
Political Activity of Elders
Older Americans have the best voting record in the nation. Elders are a political force on issues that directly influence their quality of life, such as Social Security. Such influence will continue as larger numbers of active, well educated and relatively healthy adults turn 65.
- Organizations such as the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the Older Women's League (OWL) provide strong support for political activism.
Education and Leisure of Elders
- Elders are becoming students in increasing numbers. Classes offering enrichment opportunities, as well as courses on retirement planning, money management and employment preparation are especially popular. Older adults also have experience and expertise to assist in educating and training children and youths.
- Leisure activities typically change with age from competitive activities to more individual, self-paced pursuits. Regular and appropriate exercise is important in preventing health problems. Social interaction is another vital factor in maintaining well-being. Elders need safe and accessible places for physical and social activities.