Doctoral Dissertation Research: A Sociological analysis of Organizational Competition and Survival Among Homeless Assistance Organizations

SES-622270 PI：Paul DiMaggioCo-PI：Nicole Esparza这项研究调查了帮助无家可归者的非营利组织。这项研究通过提供对非营利部门的见解，特别是组织的协调和网络，推进了组织的社会学知识。该研究提出了三个主要问题：（1）为无家可归者提供的资金如何影响所提供的服务;（2）组织如何相互竞争或合作以获得资金;（3）不同城市的组织是否有不同的行为。虽然无家可归的问题一直是社会学的一个长期的兴趣，这个话题已经获得了新的考虑。所有要求为无家可归者服务提供联邦资金的城市和组织现在都必须协调当地的服务，并共同起草十年计划，以改善其城市的无家可归问题。该项目调查了1989年至2006年美国26个大都市地区的6,011个组织。Co-PI将通过各种方式收集这些组织的数据。这些组织的财务和计划信息将取自国税局的免税文件。然后，联合PI将采访底特律、洛杉矶和费城的大约60个组织。最后，协调员将观察全市无家可归问题规划委员会和工作队，以了解城市和组织如何在无家可归问题上共同努力。通过比较多个城市，研究人员将能够在更广泛的城市社会和政策背景下研究组织。此外，这项研究推进了关于无家可归和不平等的文献。虽然自20世纪80年代以来，对无家可归的原因、后果和应对措施的研究蓬勃发展，但我们对为无家可归者服务的组织仍然知之甚少。通过分析对无家可归问题作出反应的组织，该项目填补了差距。这个项目有四个更广泛的影响。首先，Co-PI计划写一篇关于使用IRS数据检查非营利组织的文章，从而促进未来使用数据。其次，在社会学研究中，最近有一种趋势是利用多种途径收集有关组织的数据，但教材仍然落后于曲线。Co-PI计划利用她收集数据的经验，并将其发展为本科和研究生课程。第三，在这笔赠款的帮助下，研究人员计划获得面向少数民族学生的博士后奖学金。这将使她有机会将论文转化为手稿。最后，该项目的结果也将被写入HUD的政策报告。这将使住房和城市发展部能够审查与方案优先事项、协调机制和减少无家可归现象的战略有关的现行政策。

SES-622270PI: Paul DiMaggioCo-PI: Nicole EsparzaThis research examines nonprofit organizations that assist the homeless. This research advances the sociological knowledge of organizations by providing insights into the nonprofit sector, specifically the coordination and networking of organizations. The research asks three major questions: (1) how has the availability of funding for the homeless affected the services offered; (2) how do organizations compete or cooperate with each other for funding; and (3) do organizations in different cities behave differently. Although the issue of homeless has been a longstanding interest in sociology, the topic has acquired renewed consideration. All cities and organizations requesting federal funds for homeless services will now have to coordinate services locally, and collectively draft ten-year plans to ameliorate homelessness in their cities. The project examines 6,011 organizations in twenty-six U.S. metropolitan areas from 1989 to 2006. The Co-PI will collect data on these organizations by various means. Financial and program information for the organizations will be taken from IRS tax-exemption filings. Then, the Co-PI will interview approximately sixty organizations in Detroit, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Finally, the Co-PI will observe at city-wide planning committees and taskforces on homelessness to understand how cities and organizations work together on the problem of homelessness.. By comparing multiple cities, the researcher will be able to examine organizations within their broader urban social and policy contexts. In addition, this research advances the literature on homelessness and inequality. While research on the causes, consequences, and responses to homelessness has flourished since the 1980s, we still know very little about the organizations that serve the homeless. By analyzing the organizations that constitute a response to homelessness, this project fills in the gap. There are four broader impacts of this project. First, the Co-PI plans to write an article on the use of IRS data for examining nonprofit organizations, thereby facilitating future use of the data. Second, in sociological research there is a recent trend toward the utilization of multiple avenues to collect data on organizations, yet teaching material is still behind the curve. The Co-PI plans to use her experience with collecting data and develop it into undergraduate and graduate level courses. Third, with help of this grant, the researcher plans to obtain a postdoctoral fellowship geared towards minority students. This will give her the opportunity to transform the dissertation into a manuscript. Finally, the results of this project will also be written as a policy report for the HUD. This will enable HUD to review current policies pertaining to program priorities, coordinating mechanisms, and strategies for reducing homelessness.