PERCEPTIONS OF BROCKTON FACULTY QUESTIONNAIRE Survey of Research

PERCEPTIONS OF BROCKTON FACULTY QUESTIONNAIRE Survey of Research Methods for Sociology SOC 210 Fall 2012 1

RESPONDENT INFORMATION What area do you work in? % Liberal Arts 54% Mathematics or Sciences 25% Other 20% Gender % Male 48% Brockton Brightfields. 3 -acre site consisting of approximately 1400 solar panels. Produces 425 kilowatts of electricity directly into local electrical distribution grid, each day. Created, October 2006. Female 52% Base: n=61 2

RESPONDENT INFORMATION How long have you been working at Stonehill? % Less than two years 12% 2 -4 years 15% 5 -7 years 25% 8 or more years 49% Yes No Have you ever lived in Brockton? 7% 93% Did you grow up in Massachusetts? 37% 63% Do you live with a partner? 66% 34% Do you have a child? 62% 38% Urban Suburban Rural What type of neighborhood did you mostly grow up in? 23% 59% 18% What type of neighborhood do you live in? 18% 72% 10% 3

How has your perception of Brockton changed over your years here at Stonehill? Q 6 a: Positive Change Stonehill Influence: 1 Personal Experience: 2 Other (“factual” Observation): 3 4 19 6 Q 6 b: No Change Positive Unchanged View: 1 Negative Unchanged View: 2 Neutral Unchanged View: 3 1 6 14 Q 6 c: Negative Change Stonehill Influence: 1 Personal Experience: 2 Other (“factual” Observation): 3 3 4

WHAT ARE THE FIRST THREE WORDS YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU HEAR, “BROCKTON”? Positive Negative 9 Neutral (“Factual”) 44 111 Count % City 10 16% Shoes 6 10% Urban/Crime 3 5% Base: n=61 5

RESPONSE THAT BEST REFLECTS HOW YOU FEEL Base: n=61 6

RESPONSE THAT BEST REFLECTS HOW YOU FEEL Yes No I am willing to drive through a small part of Brockton to get somewhere else. 98% 2% I am willing to go out to lunch with colleagues in Brockton. 98% 2% I am willing to spend time with my family in Brockton. 85% 15% I am willing to live in Brockton temporarily. 59% 41% I am willing to live long-term in Brockton. 32% 68% I am willing to live and raise my children in Brockton. 23% 76% Base: n=61 7

CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS Yes Do you talk about Brockton in your classes? No 46% 54% Addressing Stereotypes: 1 “Helping” Brockton: 2 Other: 3 9 9 8 Base: n=61; if “yes” (n=26) 8

CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS No Do conversation with First-Year Students differ from Upperclassmen? Yes 77% 23% 9

SERVICE REQUIREMENTS Yes Do you incorporate service requirements in Brockton into any of your classes? No 25% 74% Examples of service assignments: Clinical/research work, collaborative work with ethnic organizations, community service, environmental health hazard testing, tutoring, formulating a retail management system for ethnic restaurant, senior centers, VITA volunteer income tax preparation (optional for tax students), work with teens in the City, school placements/related educational placements. Base: n=61; if “yes” (n=26) 10

PERCEPTIONS OF BROCKTON STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE Survey of Research Methods for Sociology SOC 210 Fall 2012 11

STONEHILL COLLEGE AND BROCKTON What town is Stonehill located in? % Easton 60% Brockton 0% Easton and Brockton 40% What are the first three words you think of when you hear, “Brockton: Count % Ghetto/Poor/Lower SES/Poverty/Underprivileged 332 43% City/City of Brockton/Shoe City 259 34% Crime/Dangerous/Unsafe/Violence 218 27% Base: n=761 12

RESPONSE THAT BEST REFLECTS HOW YOU FEEL Base: n=761 13

RESPONSE THAT BEST REFLECTS HOW YOU FEEL Yes No I am willing to drive through a small part of Brockton to get somewhere else. 98% 2% I am willing to go into Brockton to purchase something I absolutely need that I cannot buy anywhere else. 97% 3% I am willing to go to Brockton repeatedly to purchase goods and services. 81% 19% I am willing to work in Brockton. 70% 30% I am willing to hang out in Brockton with friends. 46% 54% I am willing to live in Brockton temporarily. 38% 62% I am willing to buy and live in a home long-term in Brockton. 8% 91% I am willing to buy a home and raise my children in Brockton. 7% 93% Base: n=761 14

AWARENESS OF BROCKTON Did you know about Brockton before coming to Stonehill? % Yes No How did you first hear about Brockton? 53% 47% Count % Friends 398 52% Family 314 41% Into the Streets 269 35% Media 175 23% Professors 113 15% I’m from Brockton 14 2% Other 142 19% Examples: High School sports, live in surrounding communities, Brockton Brightfields. 3 -acre site consisting of approximately 1400 solar panels. Produces 425 kilowatts of electricity directly into local electrical distribution grid, each day. Created, October 2006. Base: n=761 15

REASON FOR FIRST VISIT TO BROCKTON What was the reason you first went into Brockton? % Community service through Into the Streets Day (Freshman Orientation) 37% A social outing or shopping 27% Class related community service 11% I live in Brockton 2% I have never been to Brockton 2% Other 22% Examples: Relatives, friends, sporting events, traveling through town, transportation, i. e. , commuter rail. n=744 16

FREQUENCY OF VISITS TO BROCKTON How often do you go into Brockton for personal needs or recreationally? % Two or more times a week 10% Once a week 19% Once or twice a month 31% A few times every semester 28% Never 13% How often do you frequent shopping plaza on Rt 123 E? (Panera Bread, Bertucci’s, Starbuck’s, etc. ) Two or more times a week 13% Once a week 29% Once or twice a month 37% A few times every semester % Grocery shopping 434 57% Shopping for clothing, shoes, etc. 418 55% 403 53% Attend community events 53 7% Go to bars 56 7% Other 61 8% 16% Never Count Go out to dinner % Types of activities 5% Examples: Banking, Starbuck’s, visit relatives/friends n=756 17

HOW OTHERS SPEAK ABOUT BROCKTON Base: n=761; professors (n=758), friends (n=760), parents (n=757) 18

INTO THE STREETS DAY Did you participate in Into the Streets Day during freshman orientation? % Yes 92% No 8% Base: n=761; If “yes” (n=699) 19

INTO THE STREETS PROGRAM Have you ever participated in an Into the Streets program during the school year? % Yes 26% No 74% Base: n=761; If “yes” (n=197) 20

PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY SERVICE Do you participate in community service opportunities in Brockton? % Yes 48% No 52% On average, how often do you go into Brockton to perform community service? % Two or more times a week 11% Once a week 39% Once or twice a month 9% A few times every semester 42% Reason for participation in community Service % Required class assignment 54% My own interest in volunteering 68% Other 6% Example: Job related Base: n=761; If “yes” (n=368); “Reason” (n=367) 21

COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING Have you ever taken a course that involves community based learning that requires service work in Brockton? % Yes 32% No 68% n=755; If “yes” (n=248) 22

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Does the College’s emphasis on community engagement through service affect your perception of Brockton? % Yes 36% No 31% Unsure 33% A few examples: Being in the Brockton community changes your perception of the place I see Brockton more as a community that needs assistance vs. a dangerous place to stay away from Come to view Brockton as a place where we can all positively contribute to the great work that the city is doing The program made it seem like Brockton was this rundown city that really needed our help because they did not know how to care for themselves as a community Brockton is a food desert that needs help with community gardens Brockton isn’t necessarily a bad place, it just needs a little help and volunteer service By continually focusing on providing service to Brockton, the college has socially constructed the idea that Brockton is an impoverished city that is struggling to survive in society CBL experiences truly impacted my perception of Brockton. Numerous opportunities to see the City, and the people, in many capacities Raises awareness of City’s weaknesses and strengths The College has conveyed how it cares about its students and its neighbors Base: n=761; If “Yes” (n=242) 23

CHANGED PERCEPTIONS? • The majority of students responded that their perceptions have either not changed or have changed for the better over their years at Stonehill. • Examples 24

ESTIMATIONS Based on your estimation, what percentage of Brockton residents are foreign-born? % Based on your estimation, what percentage of Brockton residents live below the poverty line? % 7% 13% 22% 15% 30% 19% 3% 15% 12% 13% 24% 36% 24% 48% 17% 60% 14% 37% 20% 72% 3% 45% 14% Above 72% 1% 52% 13% Above 52% n=726 23% 8% n=727 25

ESTIMATIONS - CONTINUED Based on your estimation, what percentage of Brockton residents are Black or African -American? % 15% Based on your estimation, what percentage of Brockton residents are Hispanic? 6% % 46% 54% 18% 17% 20% 26% 11% 15% 22% 4% 10% 31% 5% 29% 62% 18% 30% 7% 40% 3% 50% 3% Above 50% % 24% 44% 35% 26% 47% 16% 59% 10% 70% 3% Above 70% 1% 10% Above 70% n=726 Based on your estimation, what percentage of Brockton residents are non. Hispanic white? 1% n=726 n=728 26

PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS FROM BROCKTON Yes No Are you from Massachusetts, the South Shore area? 26% 74% Have you ever lived in Brockton? 3% 97% What were your perceptions of Stonehill students before coming to Stonehill? How do you think residents of Brockton view Stonehill? % Very Positive 26% Somewhat positive 17% Neither positive nor negative 35% Somewhat negative 22% Very negative % Very Positive 35% Somewhat positive 4% Neither positive nor negative 39% Somewhat negative 22% Very negative 0% 0% Base: 761; If “Yes” (n=23) 27

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS Gender % Male 27% Female 73% Transgender Type of neighborhood you grow up in? 0% Race and Ethnicity % American Indian or Alaska Native 93% Hispanic or Latino 15% Class Year 0% White 73% Rural 2% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 13% Suburban 3% Black or African-American Urban 0% Asian % % 3% 2012 1% 2013 28% 2014 24% 2015 21% 2016 26% Base: n=761; “Gender” (n=757), “Race” (n=753), “Neighborhood” (n=755); “Class Year” (n=756) 28

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS - CONTINUED The range that best describes your family’s income level? % Under $24, 999 5% $25, 000 - $54, 999 12% $55, 000 – 99, 999 26% $100, 000 - $149, 999 21% $150, 000 - $200, 000 11% Above $200, 000 8% I don’t know 18% Base: n=743 29

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? • Promote recreational and educational opportunities in Brockton • Scavenger hunt in Brockton during Freshmen Orientation • Familiarize students with the public transportation system in Brockton 30

Special thanks to Jean Hamlerat the Office of Institutional Research and Planning! 31