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Socio-Economics
Socio-economic status is an important indicator for understanding the differences within and between
human communities. The socio-economics of a community (levels of income and education) affect its access
to different kinds of financial, informational, institutional, and political resources. Socio-economic conditions
also affect people’s perceptions of one another.
One indicator of socio-economic status is the percentage of families in an area living in poverty. In the
Gwynns Falls Watershed, fifteen percent of individuals are living at or below the poverty line. The facing
map depicts a “socio-economic index” that combines statistics on professional status, income, and education
derived from 1990 census figures. The highest socio-economic index values occur in the Scotts Level Branch,
Red Run, Upper Gwynns, and Middle Gwynns Watersheds, while lower levels occur in the Lower Gwynns,
Maiden’s Choice Run, and Gwynns Run.
In areas with low socio-economic status, residents may be more concerned about their basic needs for
adequate housing and good jobs than about typical environmental concerns, such as water quality. Unfortunately,
these communities may be more heavily affected than others by negative environmental conditions. Traditionally,
they have also been underserved by public resources, including “green investments,” such as parks, street
trees, and public open spaces.
Environmental Justice
This tendency for poorer environmental conditions to affect more significantly those communities
with lower socio-economic status is known as environmental injustice. It is a prevalent trend in the
Gwynns Falls Watershed, where poorer water quality, fewer green resources, and poorer soil quality
all more significantly affect the disadvantaged communities.
“Downstream” Impac
Communities in the Gwynns Falls Watershed with fewer socio-economic resources tend to be “down-stream”
of those communities with more resources. Sediment, trash, fertilizers, and other water pol-lutants
that are released in the upper watershed all end up affecting the environmental quality of the
communities in the lower watershed.
Using this Information
When combining socio-economic information with environmental conditions, one should be wary
of confusing cause and effect. If air quality is poorer in areas where the residents are of a lower
socio-economic status, it is not because those people pollute more. Rather, housing is probably more
affordable, or pollution-causing industries have found it easiest to site their plants in these areas.
With that in mind, the information provided here should be used to help target resources in those
communities with greater socio-economic and environmental need. By targeting resources in areas
where they have not traditionally been invested, we may perhaps begin to help address some of the
environmental justice issues prevalent in the Gwynns Falls Watershed.
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