Population and Society - An Introduction

Anyone wanting to learn the basics of demography and the ways it relates to broader social forces will profit from reading this book. Carter provides an overview of the field that is informative and wide-ranging. William H. Frey, The Brookings Institution Carter offers a comprehensive yet concise overview of the major concepts, theories, and data sources in the fields of classic and social demography. Written in an accessible style and leveraging the most recent data from countries around the world, the book highlights the salience of the demographic perspective in understanding all contemporary social problems and provides multiple examples of how demographic forces both reflect and constrain individual choices. Shannon Monnat, Pennsylvania State University Population and Society does an outstanding job of bringing to life demographic processes such as fertility, mortality, and migration by illustrating their impact using a range of student-engaging, in-depth examples and easy-to-understand data. The book applies demographic events to a range of critical social issues, from environmental degradation, overpopulation, and gender inequality, to the everyday choices we make in our own lives. In short, this book is an outstanding accomplishment! Sharlene Hesse-Biber, Boston College This book is well written and with a non-specialist in mind, one more interested in getting quickly into the main points of consensus about human populations instead of the academic quibbles underlying that consensus. The book is peppered with many thought-provoking questions [ T]his is an engaging read, non-technical in style, best suited for undergraduates. American Library Association Choice Reviews