Books & Reports

This book, edited by Axel Börsch-Supan, Martina Brandt, Howard Litwin, and Guglielmo Weber, is based on the most recent waves of SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) data collected in 2010/2011. It examines the various influences the recent crisis had on the lives of people aged 50 and over in 16 European countries. Its main purpose is to provide scientific evidence of what has changed in the activities and life-circumstances of older Europeans since the crisis has begun, and how this has affected intergenerational solidarity.

Pathways through the life course have changed considerably in recent decades. Many of our assumptions about leaving home, starting new relationships and having children have been turned upside down. This volume, edited by Ann Evans and Janeen Baxter, makes use of rich longitudinal data from a unique Australian project to examine these changes. Drawing on broader theories of social change and demographic transitions in an international context, each chapter provides a detailed empirical assessment of the ways in which Australian adults negotiate their work and family lives.

Migration has started to pick up again, driven largely by people moving within the European Union, after three years of continuous decline during the crisis. But the employment prospects for immigrants have worsened, with around one in two unemployed immigrants in Europe still looking for work after more than 12 months, according to the new OECD report "International Migration Outlook 2013".

Variations of demographic patterns and trends range from very high fertility to sub-replacement fertility situations, from very young to aging populations, and from immigration-open to immigration-shy countries. This book, authored by John F. May, concludes that population policies are more necessary and relevant than ever for developed and developing countries.

The relationship between the economy and population dynamics has long been discussed, but is still controversial. Fertility is commonly assumed to follow the economic cycle, falling in periods of recession and vice-versa, though scientific evidence is still not unanimous on this. This report by Giampaolo Lanzieri looks at fertility trends in 31 European countries against selected indicators of economic recession.

A European team of 25 researchers focused on the issue of declining birth rates in three German-speaking countries. A summary of their findings and recommendations has now been published in a booklet that questions many commen myths. It can be downloaded for free in English, German and French (see link). The team, gathered between 2009 and 2012 by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Leopoldina, represents various disciplines – sociology, demography, history and medicine.

Recently published by the Demographic Research Institute of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (Eds. Péter Őri & Zsolt Spéder), this comprehensive book describes Hungary’s demographic situation and interprets the trends in a European context. The publication aims to reach out to a broad audience by explaining demographic topics in a way that can be easily understood by experts and the general public alike. It updates the previous 2009 issue and additionally introduces two major new approaches: The first one is the emphasis on regional differences within the country.

This book by Louis G. Pol and Richard K. Thomas offers an updated view of the field and a current perspective on the applications of health demography to contemporary issues. The significance of health demography within the field of population studies has continued to increase and this work provides background on the healthcare arena and systematically presents the various aspects of demography as they relate to healthcare.

This book examines ageing trends across the continent, analysing individual and collective variables that affect the lives of older adults, and drawing salient comparisons with other parts of the world. An interdisciplinary panel of experts provides theory, research, and empirical findings (with examples from the UK, Cyprus, Sweden, and others) in key areas such as family and social supports, physical and cognitive changes, dependence and autonomy issues, and living arrangements.

To promote an international exchange on the instruments, themes and implications of research-based reporting on ageing, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) organised a conference entitled “Changing Images of Ageing – International Perspectives for a Future-Oriented Policy on Senior Citizens and Generations”. The conference pursued the objective of stimulating exchanges on instruments of social reporting on ageing policy as developed and practised in various different countries. The proceedings are now available online.