5-4 SHORT PAPER: ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY
Ethnographic Study
Short Paper 5-4
Brynn Lipstreu
EDU-765-X4002-13TW4
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5-4 SHORT PAPER: ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY
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Land was granted to settlers in May of 1720. This settlement became Willington, Connecticut and was incorporated in 1727. It was an agricultural town until the Industrial Revolution. In the
1800’s, a wool mill and glass factory were built and powered by the neighboring Willimantic
River. Since the closing to the mill and factory, the town’s principle industry has remained to be agricultural.
According to Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. (CERC), the 2011 population of
Willington, CT was 6,082. This is a population rise from the 1910 census of 1,112. There was not a huge rise in residents from 1910 to 1950. This period of forty years only shows a growth of 349 occupants. Between 1950 and 1990, the population rapidly increased from 1,461 citizens to 5,969. In this phase of forty year, the population more than quadrupled. Since the 1990 census, the population in Willington has risen by only 113 community members.
Educational attainment in 2011 as presented by CERC shows that 1,019 (23%) of residents have a high school diploma. There were 1,130 (25%) of the townsfolk that had some college education. Bachelors degrees or higher were obtained by 1,931 (44%) of the adult community.
This data shows that 4,080 (67%) of the adult residents in Willington have at least a high school diploma.

5-4 SHORT PAPER: ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY
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The 2011 population of 6,082 was composed of multi-cultural backgrounds. Within the town, there was a recorded 5,672 white residents. Black community members numbered in at 48 inhabitants. There were 203 people of an Asian Pacific background. Twenty people were of a
Native American decent. People of multiple races amounted to 139 people. This data shows that the community of Willington, CT is predominantly white. According to Connecticut Society of
Genealogy, there are four churches in town. Two of these churches are federated churches. The federated church has two buildings. One is for summer use only. One church is Baptist and the final church is Catholic. All four churches in town are Christian churches.
Willington, CT has 120 places of employment. Most of these places are small mom and pop businesses. Most residents commute to out of town jobs. The business of services accounts for
31.6% of total business establishments and 24.5% of employment in Willington, CT.
Construction and mining accounts for 18.9% of town businesses, but only 8.5% of employment.
Trade business establishments occupy 18.4% and employ 21.2%. Transportation and utilities account for 4.1% of establishments and 33.7% of employment in town. Agricultural business is
5.6% of establishments, but only 1.6% of employment. Finance, insurance and real estate occupy 9.7% of establishments and employ 4.4%. Establishments of manufacturers account for
6.6% and 3.3% employment. Finally, government occupies 5.1% of establishments and employs 2.7%. The top five employers in 2008 were Fed Ex, Willington Pizza, Travel Centers of America, State of Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Town of Willington.

5-4 SHORT PAPER: ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY
Willington offers a variety of housing in its 2,569 dwellings. There are rental units available in complexes to private homes. Owner occupied dwellings account for 57% of housing in town.
According to CERC, in 2008 there were 195 subsidized housing cases. The median price of homes in town is $240,000, which is below the median for the county and state.
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The median household income for Willington, CT in 2011 was $70,791. This is below the county household median, but above the state household median. The median age for
Willington, CT residents is 46.
There are neighboring university communities that influence the town of Willington, CT. The
University of Connecticut is in the next town, Mansfield, CT. This accounts for some of the various ethical backgrounds in town as professors at the university come for short teaching assignments from other countries and many of them move into Willington, CT. The University of Connecticut students often rent apartments in the complexes in town to offset their educational funding. The University of Connecticut has a partnership with the two schools in Willington,
CT. This partnership supplies the schools with student teachers and graduate interns to work with teachers and students in the community.

5-4 SHORT PAPER: ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY
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References
Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. (2012). Willington Connecticut CERC town profile
2012. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc= s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CF8QFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cerc.com%2FTo wnProfiles%2FCustomer-Images%2Fwillington.pdf&ei=qX7lUeivCdHh4APIvoGIDA
&usg=AFQjCNFt1r-dcjSZwT6nD7jvY2FhHH8yA&sig2=EYviftq4blPqQFDkPqzyTA& bvm=bv.48705608,d.dmg
Connecticut Humanities. (n.d.). Willington. Retrieved from http://connecticuthistory.org/townspage/willington/
Connecticut Society of Genealogists. (2013). Willington.
Retrieved from http://www.csginc.org/csg_city_details.php?id=160