Faculty
Leif Jensen
Professor of Rural Sociology and Demography
Coordinator, Graduate Program in Rural Sociology
(Ph.D., Sociology, University of Wisconsin, 1987)
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Email address: ljensen@psu.edu Telephone: 1-814-863-8642 Fax: 1-814-865-3746 Office address: 110A Armsby Building University Park, PA 16802 |
Research Interests
My research interests are found within three broad areas. The first is social stratification with emphasis on poverty, employment and underemployment, and informal work and other household economic survival strategies. Much of this work focuses on rural populations and rural-urban differences. My second area of interest is demography with special attention to migration and immigration. Finally, I'm also interested in the sociology of economic development with a focus on Latin America.
Outreach/Extension Interests
While I do not have a formal extension appointment, I do enjoy opportunities to offer presentations to community groups, advocacy organizations and others. In recent years I've given outreach presentations on such topics as the demography of Pennsylvania, and immigrants in new destinations.
Current/Recent Courses
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R SOC 530: The sociology and demography of U.S. poverty
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R SOC 517: International Rural Social Change
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CED 425: International Community and Economic Development
Recent Selected Publications
Jensen, Leif and Tse-Chuan Yang. 2009. "Taken by Surprise: New Immigrants in the Rural United States." Forthcoming in Birgit Jentsch and Myriam Simard (eds.), International Migration and Rural Areas - Global Perspectives. Hampshire, UK: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Slack, Tim and Leif Jensen. 2008. "Birth and Fortune Revisited: A Cohort Analysis of Underemployment, 1974-2004." Population Research and Policy Review, 27(4): 729-749.
Jensen, Leif and Eric B. Jensen. 2008. "Poverty." In Gary A. Goreham (ed.), Encyclopedia of Rural America: The Land and People. Milllerton, NY: Grey House Publishing.
Slack, Tim and Jensen, Leif. 2008. "Employment Hardship among Older Workers: Does Residential and Gender Inequality Extend into Older Age?" Journals of Gerontology,63(1): S15-S24.
Slack, Tim and Leif Jensen. 2007. "Underemployment Across Immigrant Generations." Social Science Research, 36(4): 1415-1430.
Jensen, Leif, Jeffrey H. Cohen, Almeida Jacqueline Toribio, Gordon F. De Jong and Leila Rodriguez. 2006. "Ethnic Identities, Language and Economic Outcomes Among Dominicans in a New Destination: A Research Note." Social Science Quarterly, 87(5): 1088-1099.