College Graduates, Local Retailers, and Community Belonging in the United States

Authors

Samuel Stroope, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Aaron B. Franzen, Hope CollegeFollow
Charles M. Tolbert, Baylor University
F. Carson Mencken, Baylor University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

Publication Source

Sociological Spectrum

Volume Number

34

Issue Number

2

First Page

143

Last Page

162

Publisher

Taylor & Francis, Inc.

ISSN

0273-2173

Abstract

How do communities retain their highly educated residents? Do local retailers play a role? This study addresses these questions using confidential U.S. census data on locally-oriented retail employment and county-level public-use files. Hierarchical linear modeling is employed to test hypotheses derived from prior research on civic community and migration. The results confirm that state-level local retail employment buffers the extent to which county-level college graduation is associated with county nonmigration. This finding is consistent with civic community theory, suggesting that locally-oriented retailers are a valuable resource for promoting residential stability.

Keywords

Wal-mart, Civic Engagement, Interstate Migration, Spatial Association, Economic-growth, Business, Religion, Congregations, Consequences, Determinants

Recommended Citation

Stroope, Samuel, Aaron B. Franzen, Charles M. Tolbert, and F. Carson Mencken. “College Graduates, Local Retailers, and Community Belonging in the United States.” Sociological Spectrum 34, no. 2 (2014): 143–62. doi:10.1080/02732173.2014.878612.