Sociospatial Research for Communities: Telling the Story of People and Place

Dr. Sheila L. Steinberg, Professor, Department of Social and Environmental Sciences Brandman University-

Chapman University System

Dr. Dawn Wright, Chief Scientist, EsriPresented September 8, 2017

Presentation to: University of Kansas, Institute for Policy and social Research

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Sociospatial Research

Active consideration of space, place and social indicators in a holistic fashion (Steinberg and Steinberg 2015: 246)

Source: S.L. Steinberg and Steinberg, S.J., 2015. GIS Research Methods: Incorporating Spatial Perspectives. Esri Press, Redlands CA.

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Plan for Community Research

• Highlight patterns in data

• Use best combination of research methods available

• Involve the community in research process

• Share findings back with the community

• Adopt a holistic approach

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Examples of Multiple Methods Projects Involving Students

• Latino Health Study Funded by: The California Endowment

• Ethnic Entrepreneurship Study Funded by: The Ford Foundation

• Threats to the Yurok Lifeway Funded by: Environmental Protection

Agency4

Public Participation GIS (PPGIS)

GIS - Computer-based map analysis1. Engaging with the community to document

local knowledge2. Ground-truth existing data about the study

region and its needs3. Returning those GIS products for future use

in directing policy change

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Latino Health Study

Funded by the California Endowment

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Latino Health Study (2005-06)

Identify Health Needs of Latino Community across three California counties (Humboldt, Del Norte, and Mendocino)

Utilizes multiple research methods

-Interviews, Spatial Analysis of U.S. Census and Survey Data

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Places Frequented for Medical Care by the Latino Community

Health Survey Data overlaid with U.S. Census Data (2000) percent Latino population

Health Issues

Informants were asked,

"Of the health issues facing the Latino community in your area, which do you feel are the most important?"

Health Issues

•Health Access•Obesity/Nutrition•Diabetes

Ethnic Entrepreneurship:A Spatial Networks Approach to Community

Development

Funded by the Ford Foundation

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Entrepreneurship Data

• Surveys• Spatial Sampling• Public Participation GIS • Secondary Data

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Ethnic Entrepreneurship Study

• A spatially-based sampling frame

• Conducted surveys of Mendocino County entrepreneurs (N= 134)

• Partnered with local ethnic community organization

• Documented similarities and differences between ethnic and non-ethnic entrepreneurs

• Used spatial analysis to locate points of community interaction

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Using Public Participation GIS for Data Collection and Sampling

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GIS for Sample Design

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Spatial Findings

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Spatial Differences

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A t-test showed a significant difference between business distances to highways with a p-value of < 0.01, where ethnic owned business‘ average distance was significantly closer to highways than non-ethnic owned businesses.

Threats to the Yurok Lifeway

Funded by the Environmental Protection Agency

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Threats to the Yurok Lifeway

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Research Methods

• Fish Tissue Sampling

• California Department of Pesticide Regulation

• Tribal Survey Data

• Health Data

• Public Participation GIS

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Atrazine use within the Traditional Yurok Tribal Territory

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Capturing Environmental Resource Use Data

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Access to Resources

• Native people are faced with a dilemma of deciding between their health and preserving their traditional ways of life (Harper and Harris 2008; Robyn 2002; Shriver and Webb 2009).

• Pollutants affect land use, subsistence lifestyles, and cultural practices such as gardening, hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering of plants (Arquette et al. 2002; Bradbury et al. 2004; Fitzgerald et al. 2004; Shriver and Webb 2009) .

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Health Effects

• If Native people stop eating fish to avoid exposure, they turn to other foods; dietary changes negatively affect health in Native populations.

• Dietary changes have been linked to various diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and obesity

(Arquette et al. 2002).

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Overall Closing Remarks

• Better Quantification - Multiple methods facilitates modeling (people, environment and place)

• Spatial analysis provides additional analytical power and effective visual communication of results

• Data shared back with communities is empowering

• Research can directly impact policy

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Research Agenda

• Use multiple research methods to study issues of environment, people and place

• Document social issues at community level using empirical data

• Teach the power of research through student participation in applied projects

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Web sites discussed by dawn• Esri and the Science Community – http://esriurl.com/scicomm

• Insights - http://www.esri.com/products/arcgis-capabilities/insights (and pdf attached)

• Insights Demo Video 1 - https://youtu.be/UnQNpThIqSA

• Insights Demo Video 2 - https://youtu.be/m4h2dyafvwc

• Demographics Data - http://doc.arcgis.com/en/esri-demographics/

• Geoenrichment - http://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/reference/geoenrichment-coverage.htm

• https://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2014/04/07/esri-global-demographics-where-what-and-how/ https://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2017/07/07/83043/

• Green Infrastructure – http://esriurl.com/green

– Teaching tips at https://geonet.esri.com/community/education/blog/2017/01/27/teaching-with-the-green-infrastructure-tools

• Mortgage Magnitude Story Map - https://arcg.is/1fHaCy

• People and Society Story Maps Gallery - http://storymaps.arcgis.com/en/gallery/#s=0&md=storymaps-community:people-health

• Also: Community Analyst - http://doc.arcgis.com/en/community-analyst/29

Thank You!

Contact Information:

Dr. Sheila L. Steinberg-Department of Social and Environmental Sciences

Brandman University-Chapman University

ssteinbe@brandman.edu

Dr. Dawn Wright, Chief Scientist, Esri DWright@esri.com

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