The Global Spread of Fertility Decline : Population, Fear, and Uncertainty

The world's population has grown by five billion people over the past century, an astounding 300 percent increase. Yet it is actually the decline in family size and population growth that is the issue attracting greatest concern in many countries. This eye-opening book looks at demographic trends in Europe, North America, and Asia—areas that now have low fertility rates—and argues that there is an essential yet often neglected political dimension to a full assessment of these trends. Political decisions that promote or discourage marriage and childbearing, facilitate or discourage contraception and abortion, and stimulate or restrain immigration all have played significant roles in recent trends. "The world's population has grown by five billion people over the past century, an astounding 300 percent increase. Yet it is actually the decline in family size and population growth that is the issue attracting greatest concern in many countries. This eye-opening book looks at demographic trends in Europe, North America, and Asia--areas that now have low fertility rates--and argues that there is an essential yet often neglected political dimension to a full assessment of these trends. Political decisions that promote or discourage marriage and childbearing, facilitate or discourage contraception and abortion, and stimulate or restrain immigration all have played significant roles in recent trends."--Publisher's description. The world's population has grown by five billion people over the past century, an astounding 300 percent increase. Yet it is actually the decline in family size and population growth that is the issue attracting greatest concern in many countries. This eye-opening book looks at demographic trends in Europe, North America, and Asia—areas that now have low fertility rates—and argues that there is an essential yet often neglected __political__ dimension to a full assessment of these trends. Political decisions that promote or discourage marriage and childbearing, facilitate or discourage contraception and abortion, and stimulate or restrain immigration all have played significant roles in recent trends. Cover Contents Preface ONE: Globalization and Demography TWO: European Population: Interpretations and Anxieties THREE: Islam in Europe FOUR: The China Trajectory FIVE: Population and Politics in India SIX: Japan: Family Structure, Abortion, and Fertility since 1945 SEVEN: North America and NAFTA EIGHT: Conclusion: Putting the Politics Back In APPENDIX A: UN Projections of Total Fertility Rates for Selected Countries APPENDIX B: Effects of and Adaptations to Changing Demographic Composition: A User’s Guide Notes Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The world's population has grown by five billion people over the past century, an astounding 300 percent increase. This book looks at demographic trends in Europe, North America, and Asia - areas that now have low fertility rates - and argues that there is an essential yet often neglected political dimension to a full assessment of these trends. This eye-opening book looks at demographic trends in Europe North America, and Asia - areas that now have low fertility rates - and argues that there is an essential yet often neglected political dimension to a full assessment of these trends