Low-Income Homeownership: Examining the Unexamined Goal

Book Description

A generation ago little attention was focused on low-income homeownership. Today homeownership rates among under-served groups, including low-income households and minorities, have risen to record levels. These groups are no longer at the margin of the housing market; they have benefited from more flexible underwriting standards and greater access to credit. However, there is still a racial/ethnic gap and the homeownership rates of minority and low-income households are still well below the national average.

This volume gathers the observations of housing experts on low-income homeownership and its effects on households and communities. The book is divided into five chapters which focus on the following subjects: homeownership trends in the 1990s; overcoming borrower constraints; financial returns to low-income homeowners; low-income loan performance; and the socioeconomic impact of homeownership.

Copublished with the Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Book Description

Mexico has recently come to the attention to global strategic planners. This report puts these executives on the fast track. Ten chapters provide: an overview of how to strategically access this important market, a discussion on economic fundamentals, marketing & distribution options, export and direct investment options, and full risk assessments (political, cultural, legal, human resources). Ample statistical benchmarks and comparative graphs are given.

Amazon.com

Nobody disputes the fact that inner-city schools are going to the dogs. Poor facilities, shell-shocked teachers, and hostile, apathetic students are frequent topics on the evening news, as are the supposed solutions for these problems: school vouchers, school uniforms, teacher testing, and the like. In Ghetto Schooling, author Jean Anyon exposes the futility of such social band-aids on the gaping wound that is ghetto education. Anyon starts with the premise that urban education's problems lie not within the schools themselves but rather in the "economic and political devastation" of the cities. It is the poverty, the racial isolation, and the lack of political clout that dooms inner-city schools to failure, Anyon posits, and she backs up her thesis with solid evidence: her own experiences as a school reformer in Newark, New Jersey.

Ghetto Schooling is filled with interviews, media reports and Anyon's eyewitness account of the sorry state of Newark schools and reformers' Sisyphean task of trying to make changes in the midst of urban decay and governmental indifference. Anyon concludes that it is racial, class, and ethnic discrimination at governmental levels that has led to the neglect of inner cities and, by association, their schools. The problems Anyon discusses and the solutions she proposes are not limited to the Newark city schools; they could be implemented in other urban school districts across the country. For anyone interested in the state of education in America's cities today, Ghetto Schooling is an important, if troubling, read.

Customer Reviews:

The direct effect of the city on schooling.......2005-05-24

Ghetto schooling touches on the failure of inner city schools but especially the failure of the school system in Newark, NJ. She takes a look at the expansive school system from the years 1860- 1997. Her book looks at the failure of school reform but better yet the failure of the city and how it has failed to educate it's minority students through mismangement of money to political partronage that promotes unskilled teachers and adminstrators. She traces the school system as a product of the development of the city. To Jean Anyon, the city has a direct effect on the progress of the school. As she states, "The contours and fortunes of schools in the twentieth centruy have also been intimately linked to the economic transformations of the city--and to federal and state policy as well as to local and national corporate decision making" (156). In stating what she feels is an obvious, Anyon describes the rise and fall of Newark and how fiscal prosperiety directly affected the quality of schooling. She states that through several discriminatory practices by federal and state governments such as redlining, housing segregation, financial disparity between districts and even efforts by corporations to restrict municipal spending and borrowing, education in Newark took a turn for the worst. She also says that the decline in quality of education is aligned with the increase of minorities into the city and the exodus of middle class residents to the suburbs. Anyon does a good job of presenting the historical factors that have influenced education in the city. She also shows how this has occured in other major cities. Another selling pointo f the argurment is that she presents a reform agenda that although expensive does to the root of the "underclass" urban education problem. While in no way belittling the residents of the inner cities she calls for action from these individuals and how their participation in the process strenthens the ties of the community to education. Anyon's book is only the beginning in a long line of cities that are afflicted by the same ailments as Newark, NJ.

Ghetto Schooling Review.......2002-11-18

Since as far back as formal education existed, Newark NJ school district has suffered from numerous problems. In the book Ghetto Schooling - A Political Economy of Urban Educational Reform, Jean Anyon deals with the topic of the Newark school district and what has been done and what should be done in the future. The book begins with her experience of being in the Newark School system (Marcy School) as a member of a group trying to restructure eight schools in this school district. Then she follows up with a chronological break down by era of what went on in the Newark district and around the country. The book begins in the present, goes to the past, and finishes up with how we are supposed to learn from our past.
In the present time, we see schools that are ill equipped, dirty, having unqualified staff, and chaos. These children come from poor homes (if they have a home), with chaotic lives, neglect, abuse, histories of poor helth and chronic health problems, emotional stress, anxiety and anger (Anyon, 1997). If the children are coming from home environments like this, it does not seem that it would take much to make them want to come to school. However, quite a few students that were interviewed did not want to be there. Why? They did not respect the teachers. They thought the teachers were only there for the money or could not find a job anywhere else. One student did not like the abuse inflicted upon the students by the teachers. This section of the book is the one that stands out above all else. The reason being, I cannot believe how these students are handled. What these teachers say and do is uncalled for. This stems from the fact that these teachers do not have the proper training to be a teacher. We are not going to stop this vicious cycle if we do not train these teachers. We learn how to parent from our parents, and how to teach from past teachers, unless otherwise trained. If I did not get anything else out of this book, I do know how not to teach.
I am sure the information presented in this book is all true. It is just hard for me to fathom that a school district was ran this way without little interference from the outside. I know if this were the education my children were getting, I would definitely have something to say about it. I would be at every board meeting, every PTO and PTA meeting, be up at the school during class time, and hold these people accountable as well as my child. I have never been to or worked in a school of this nature. I also hope I never will. If I did though, I would pray that I would be a better, more caring, understanding teacher than the ones presented.
I found this book to be a hard read. It included entirely too many statistics. If I had to come up with my favorite part of the book, it would be part 1. It was real and easier to read. My least favorite part was Chapter 7 - Class, Race, Taxes, and State Educational Reform: 1970-1997. It was cumbersome to say the least. It seemed to have more statistics than any other chapter. If I could change one thing about this book it would be to reduce the amount of numbers included and include more real life situations.
Revisiting Marcy School got my attention again. It almost felt like I was there. I am not sure it is a place I would want to be. I know I would not go at this time in my life. I am not equipped to teach these kids. I sub in a small school district in Illinois and experience none of this. I probably would do more harm to these children than good. On the other hand, it sounds like they just need someone to care for them and let them know they are cared for. It broke my heart to hear what the white teacher had to say. She said,
" These kids have major problems! Incest, drugs, the girls to from boyfriend to boyfriend. You look at them and say `what's the matter,' and they cannot tell you. I have a little boy [in first grade] who's wondering where his mother went. No one knows. No wonder things go in one ear and out the other [when you're trying to teach them]."
Another teacher said,
"We think, `they're only going to sweep floors' - why teach them science?"
And another added,
"When you realize who they [the students] are, you laugh, and you can't take it [teaching] seriously."(Anyon, 1997)
These statements made me want to help these boys and girls. Saying they were only going to sweep floors is such a self-fulfilling prophecy. Even if that is what they are going to do, science may help them someday. If these teachers cannot take teaching seriously, who could? These students need more teaching and caring than the average student does.
Jean Anyon appears to have all the qualifications needed to write a book of this nature. As the books states she has her Ph.D., and is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University. She taught elementary grades in inner city schools in Bedford-Stuyvesant, NY; Philadelphia; and Washington D.C. She is Director of the Institute for Research in Urban Education on the Rutgers-Newark Campus. She has published widely on the relation of social class and race to issues of curriculum, equity, classroom practice, and school reform. This is her first book (Anyon, 1997).
If I were asked if I would recommend this book to someone else, I would definitely respond with a hearty NO! If you are interested in research for this subject, you might find some useful information, with some careful reading. This just was not a book I could not put down. Usually I want to read a book from cover to cover in one sitting. This book seemed to be never ending.

A look into inner city schools and reform.......2002-11-14

Anyon gives us a glimpse into the world of inner city schooling and everything that goes with it. This is an eye opening journey for educators that do not teach in the inner city schools. I do feel that she is way off and don't believe that some of her suggestions would actually work to improve the schools. She has not herself worked as an educator in the inner city schools. So how does she know that what she is reccommending will work?
She does make a good point and that new funding is needed in the schools. It is just a matter of where to get those funds. I do believe that educationing our young children is a responsiblity for all of America, therefore everyone should help in the funding process. I do not think that one soul contributor should be used.

Thoughts on Ghetto Schooling.......2002-11-12

Jean Anyon's book, Ghetto Schooling: A Political Economy of Urban Educational Reform paints a harrowing portrait of the struggles of those who have a role in inner-city schools. It is written in three parts that address the present situation, reflect upon the past, and look to the future, respectively. The book took several years to write due to the level of research involved for the historical content, but the personal account was based on four years of the author's participation in the reform effort in Newark, New Jersey, beginning in 1992. The reform efforts targeted eight schools in the central section of the city. (On a broader note, the historical text of the book points out that the decline of the schools really began in the 1930s.) The book begins by showing the present state of education within the reform district, but then postulates the reasons for this status by looking at the historical foundations of the problems. In the first chapter of part two, Anyon begins the historical breakdown by looking at early situation with educating the children of the many immigrants who came to Newark beginning in the 1860s. Despite early attempts at reform, the seeds had already been planted for the disenfranchisement seen today. The historical context of Anyon's research design shows decade by decade the continual decay of the Newark schools. Reform efforts were suggested, but never truly implemented. After the period of organized crime and municipal scandals had arrived, Anyon notes that:
"Because there was no rescue of the Newark educational system in 1968, it would continue to limp along, and further generations of Newark children-the grandchildren, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of the southern rural immigrants-would
join their parents in the ranks of the uneducated and the undereducated. Many would therefore be unable to participate in the economic and political institutions of U.S. society" (p. 127).

This generational cycle of poverty and hopelessness is at the heart of Anyon's determination that changes can only be effective if they consider the sociocultural status and economic plight of those involved. I found the accounts in the book to be a revelation to say the least. I think people like myself who are born and raised outside urban areas live in blissful ignorance as to the true state of education for the thousands trapped in a cycle of poverty and despair. I like that Anyon takes such an honest approach to her research, realizing that to be effective she must be disclose everything she witnessed. The only change I would like to see is the statistical information presented in some type of graph form so that it would be easier to read and interpret. Otherwise, I found the book to be an invaluable read as a future educator. In fact, it has made me think beyond the world of education and to ponder my place among the human race and the responsibility I must take for needs of my fellow man and the generations to come.

Review of Ghetto Schooling.......2002-11-11

Ghetto Schooling: A Political Economy of Urban Education Reform, is an interesting explanation of the case study done by the author, Jean Anyon. Anyon was a part of the attempted educational reform of the Newark, New Jersey schools in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Although most of her personal contact was with the faculty, staff, administration, parents, and children of the Marcy school, she gives the historical background for the Newark schools system starting in 1860. This history ventures all of the way to the present, which includes her personal experience in the reform process. Although the reform process in which she participated in failed, she did learn a great deal and shared a lot of insight about school reform. Her main point was that reform would not happen until the economic and political systems that surround the schools are transformed, neither would the schools be transformed. (Anyon 13) I found this book to be informative and insightful. Through this reading I have a better understanding of the inner city school setting, and how much help is needed there. Unfortunately, as Anyon point out, money is not the answer. The answer is reform on the larger scale. This book helped me to see this. Additionally, because of my current quest to become a teacher this booked helped me to prepare for some of the obstacles I may face. Although I will probably never teach at a school like those in the Newark district, it is very beneficial to my learning process to see the problem that plague the educational community. I am glad this book was part of my college curriculum.

Political Economy of the Urban Ghetto (Political & Social Economy)

Average customer rating:

Political Economy of the Urban Ghetto (Political & Social Economy)
Daniel R Fusfeld , and Timothy Bates
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Conditions | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0809311585

Ghetto capitalists: the inner cities are bustling with informal enterprises, but the government has cut them off from the larger economy.(Off the Books: ... Poor)(Book review): An article from: Reason

Average customer rating:

Ghetto capitalists: the inner cities are bustling with informal enterprises, but the government has cut them off from the larger economy.(Off the Books: ... Poor)(Book review): An article from: Reason
Kerry Howley
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Reason, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2007. The length of the article is 2130 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Ghetto capitalists: the inner cities are bustling with informal enterprises, but the government has cut them off from the larger economy.(Off the Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor)(Book review)
Author: Kerry Howley
Publication: Reason (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Page: 58(4)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Hello, I'm Rick Blunt. This "conversation" is about making "Communities of Practice" more understandable and accessible. I've been dealing with Communities of Practice for the better part of three decades. Yet, if you asked me as recently as five years ago what a Community of Practice was, I would have been clueless. What that means, is that Communities of Practice are already all around you. You may be already part of one and not even know it. The concept that drove home to me how subtly pervasive Communities of Practice are, is the concept of "Peer-to-Peer" or P2P. P2P became popularized with the file swapping technology phenomenon started by Napster. Since Napster, other P2P applications followed such as KaZaA, Gnutella, Morpheus, Groove Networks, and many more. So, what does P2P have to do with Communities of Practice, Learning Networks and the "Speed of Business?" Communities of Practice are about finding and participating with other "equal" professionals (P2P) to help everyone in the community learn from each other (learning networks) how to do their jobs better in today's fast-paced, "Internet-speed" work environment (Speed of Business).

Book Description

Written in a simple yet engaging style, the authors discuss contemporary management relating to fundamental issues of life, ethics, discipline and human growth which have been addressed empirically for the first time. The authors deal with questions such as how to live and manage a holistic life and how to manage stress.

Customer Reviews:

Great Reading Experience.......2003-12-08

Of all the self-help and general management books on the market, this book comes across as one of the finer ones. The ingenuity of this book lies in its approach to the subject at hand. It looks at solving contemporary management issues, especially those relating to organisational change and innovation, through the neurological functions of the brain.

A collaborative effort between two leading authors in their individual fields, Srinivasan is a leading consultant for various Indian corporations while Balasubramanian is a doctorate holder in neural networks and a lecturer. The book provides six chapters of comprehensive research. Using extensive knowledge garnered from subjects such as physics, quantum mechanics, neuro-science, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, management theory and practice, and Indian philosophy, the book addresses fundamental issues like ethics, discipline and human growth.

The book uses two theories to reach that final plateau of being mentally tough. These are the `Bottom-Up' processing and `Top-Down' processing. Bottom-up processing helps one to develop wings while top-down processing helps one to sustain his flight and gives it higher purpose, that is to serve others and actualise one's potential. The authors believe that overemphasis of the former leads to the lack of ethical behaviour while accentuating the latter leads to one being at the mercy of natural elements. One without the other leads to error, mistakes, disasters and finally revolutions.

For those of us not familiar with the processors of the brain, the authors have provided well-illustrated diagrams followed with simple and comprehensible explanations. In addition to this, the authors address important questions such as `what is learning and how to build a learning organisation?', `how to gain expertise and grow in one's profession', `how to go beyond competition', `how to manage, overcome and annihilate stress', `how to become and be mentally tough', and `how to live a holistic life'.

Not only would this book be of immense interest to strategic thinkers and decision makers in all organisations but students and practitioners in the areas of organisational behaviour, strategic and general management.

The book is also equipped with chapter summaries and an interesting quiz at the end for readers to test themselves before and after this incredible reading experience.

Average customer rating:
Brain Re-engineering the Art of Being Mentally Tough
n.s. srinivasan & g. balasubramanian
Manufacturer: sage publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LRU0KM

Book Description

Volume 2 of 3. These volumes contain the Sheldon Course on successful selling - what, who, why, how. They represent a code of practice based upon an organization of natural laws constituting the science of constructive salesmanship. The Sheldon School was the pioneer in this field of human helpfulness. It braved the perils of an unknown and unexplored realm and blazed the way. This volume contains the following lessons: reliability development; endurance development; action development; finding the customer.

Book Description

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems can provide the foundation for a wide range of e-commerce based processes including web-based ordering and order tracing, inventory management, and built-to-order goods. This book examines the pros and cons of ERP systems, explains how they work, and highlights their role at the heart of e-commerce. It contains several detailed case studies and will be an invaluable guide to managers and consultants working with ERP systems. It will also be a useful reference for MBA students taking courses in information systems management.

Customer Reviews:

Due diligence if you're evaluating ERP systems.......2001-09-19

This book is more suited as an executive guide for anyone who is considering ERP or evaluating ERP systems. In fact, the book appears to have been designed with busy senior management and executives in mind because it's focused, hits all of the key points and each chapter is treated as a whitepaper that ends with case studies reinforcing the topic and references. Also, the author makes excellent use of window diagrams throughout to convey information. A random example if this is in chapter 11 where the linkage between implementation approach (big bang vs. phases) is shown by impact of the extent of changes to be made to ERP modules (minimal to extensive) vs. Number of modules in implementation (few to many) and how this translates to the preferred method. This is but one of many such examples.

The book is organized into four parts: (1) introduction, (2) ERP systems and capabilities, (3) ERP life cycle (deciding, selecting, designing, post implementation and training) and (4) electronic commerce and risk.

Each section is backed with cited references and necessary facts with which to decide whether or not to opt for an ERP system, and if so, how to select the correct package. The references and citations extend into every chapter, which I liked because when the author cites a fact, such as a typical cost of an ERP implementation ... you know where that figure came from. I normally do not like discussions of specific products in general books, but given the narrow field of ERP vendors the discussion of each of the major players, their company histories and market position is appropriate for this book given the subject and audience.

I personally liked the case studies at the end of each chapter because there were specific to the chapter's topic, were drawn from real life, and were frank about the problems encountered and how they were addressed. This is a gold mine for executive management seeking to determine the true scope, cost and potential value of an ERP project. I also like how each option for implementation was thoroughly covered.

Overall, this book provides complete coverage of all of the issues and factors that need to be examined before taking the plunge into an ERP system. It will definitely allow executive management to make informed decisions, and will also prepare IT and business stakeholders for the realities of an implementation. This book will pay for itself many times over for the intended audience. It is clear, concise and factual.

Most issues are shared with usual IS.......2001-08-30

The book does not lack interesting subjects, but most of them are not peculiar of ERP systems, and could be suitable for many other kinds of software systems. Gap analysis, costs, human resources and chains are problems people are dealing with since the first computer entered the business word. I would have liked a publication in which briefly summarized process and data issues would be referred to a proper functional, and even technological, architecture of ERP. I do need buy and read a book whose title is ERP in order to get a description of the problems whilst the book is supposed to dissert about their solutions. The latter target has been someway met, but not fully reached.

Insightful!.......2001-03-23

Because this is a dense read, you won't be surprised to learn that the author, Daniel E. O'Leary, is a Ph.D. If you don't have a conversational grasp of acronyms - including, but not limited to ERP, LAN, WAN, SMEs BOPSE, MAPs, SAP and BAAN - then you'll have to decode as you read. If you're actually interested in using the business resource known as "Enterprise Resource Planning," or ERP, your company should be grossing some $200 million a year, because ERP costs about $15 million to implement. While O'Leary makes a very compelling case in favor of ERP, citing integration of information infrastructure, real-time data, value creation and other wonderful attributes, this is a very expensive and risky resource to pursue. Companies such as Microsoft and Cisco had a hard time implementing it and even they have to worry about cost. We [...] warn that this is serious tech for Big Money companies. Mom and Pop operations need not apply.

Comprehensive, cases, reference; one of great writing.......2001-03-22

O'Leary did an excellent job in compiling the story of ERP in a single book. Unlike other ERP book, O'Leary provides the fundamental, technical, and practical of ERP system. Many presented cases are well organized with the contents in the book. The long case is brought up on and off to remind reader about the process. If you like "Why ERP?" by Jacobs but want more technical and further reference, please grasp this book and study it. Many references are provided for further research as well. Well done!!

Book Description

This report contains business intelligence information for succesful export-import, business and investment operations, strategic contacts and more... The report also contains selected information on investment and business opportunities, international economic projects, tenders, government projects, as well as, marketing and export-import opportunities information.

Pakistan Industrial Sectors Profiles Intelligence Report

Average customer rating:

Pakistan Industrial Sectors Profiles Intelligence Report
USA IBP
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0739766414

Book Description

Strategic and business profiles of all Pakistan industrial sectors.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books