With an average age of 45 years old and a population where one third of people is over the age of 65, Japan has one of the oldest populations on earth. This is due to two factors: one of the...Show moreWith an average age of 45 years old and a population where one third of people is over the age of 65, Japan has one of the oldest populations on earth. This is due to two factors: one of the highest life-expectancies on earth, and one of the lowest birth-rates on earth. As a result of this Japan's demographic pyramid has been flipped on its head, figuratively and literally. A demographic imbalance like this comes with many challenges, such as disappearing towns, pressure on health and pension funds, and the closure of schools across the country. There are many challenges to overcome, but arguably the key one's are two questions: how to increase the birth-rate, and how to take care of the elderly population. In this thesis we will look at how Japan has tried to tackle these two challenges, see what has been effective, and see what we can learn from it for a future where more and more developed countries are faced with aging populations and low birth ratesShow less
This thesis takes an in-depth look at policies and measures that the Chinese government has taken that will make it desirable to bear more children and how this has possibly changed the Chinese...Show moreThis thesis takes an in-depth look at policies and measures that the Chinese government has taken that will make it desirable to bear more children and how this has possibly changed the Chinese Communist Party’s perception of gender.Show less
The main cause of birth-rate decline, in any country as well as China, is due to natural changes in socio-economic factors, such as the labour market, prospects of financial stability, the housing...Show moreThe main cause of birth-rate decline, in any country as well as China, is due to natural changes in socio-economic factors, such as the labour market, prospects of financial stability, the housing market, the marriage market, a work-life balance, urbanization, affordable childcare and education of both men and women. The one-child policy might have assisted a fast-track through the stages of demographic transition, but the main reason for the current continuation of low fertility is caused by these socio-economic factors. To prove the legitimacy of this argument, even though there were no birth control policies set in place in Japan since the end of the Second World War, fertility still declined due to similar socio-economic circumstances as in China today. However, after Japanese policy makers started addressing some of the socio-economic factors, birth rates did ever so slightly improve since the low in 2005, further showing evidence of the importance of these determining factors. The argument that will be used in this paper to answer the research question “Why did Chinese policymakers drop the one-child policy and how effective is this policy move in reversing the demographic trends?” is as follows: The one-child policy was fully dropped as policy makers finally realized, while too late due to the opaqueness of the Chinese government, that the fertility rates were socially and economically unsustainable. The effect of the implemented policies in reversing the demographic trend is weak because the socio-economic factors which determine continuous low fertility are not addressed.Show less
This thesis explores the link between migration and food security in Egypt, both in the short and longer term. Instead of relying on predictions and extrapolations typical of traditional...Show moreThis thesis explores the link between migration and food security in Egypt, both in the short and longer term. Instead of relying on predictions and extrapolations typical of traditional forecasting techniques, it uses the novel concept of 'scenario'. The question guiding this research can be summarized as follows: "What do the certainties and uncertainties of possible future migration trends reveal about food security issues in Egypt?". The research results in two scenario matrices, of which two possible scenario outcomes are further elaborated on.Show less
Recent studies in political demography have concluded that young adults, when overrepresented in a country's population, form an obstacle to democracy. After performing linear regressions on a new...Show moreRecent studies in political demography have concluded that young adults, when overrepresented in a country's population, form an obstacle to democracy. After performing linear regressions on a new global database using data from Polity IV, UNPD, and IIASA/VID, it is demonstrated that the role of young adults cannot unanimously be dismissed as obstructive in the democratization process. Instead, a new variable indicating the percentage of a country’s population that is both young and highly educated is introduced. This variable is proved to offer stable predictions on that country's level of democracy across time and space.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
This research makes an attempt at introducing paleodemography on a large scale in the Caribbean. Firstly the history of the discipline will be outlined, focusing on the development from historical...Show moreThis research makes an attempt at introducing paleodemography on a large scale in the Caribbean. Firstly the history of the discipline will be outlined, focusing on the development from historical demography to demography where physical anthropology is central to the analyses made. Attention will be paid to major advancements, pitfalls and solutions which have been developed through the years. Lastly the development of paleodemography in the Caribbean will be described, giving special attention to the work of the author and others. Secondly the methods and techniques associated with this study will be explained. The methodology uses the Bradford ageing categories which by the usage of categories rather than precise ages allows for a lower number of misclassifications. Using this system also facilitates for data from other investigations to be easily incorporated in this research. The usage of the life table will also be explained, where the different categories and calculations necessary to determine those categories will be introduced. Following this it will be determined which different populations have different population profiles. These different profiles, amongst others, are migratory, standard and catastrophic. The implications these profiles have for the interpretation of the sites will also be determined. The 15 sites which are central to this investigation are selected on the basis of their representation of the Pre-Columbian Ceramic period, the size of their cemeteries (since small population can cause statistical fluctuations) and/or their specific function. Lastly a new standard population for comparative purposes will be introduced which is based on ethnographic data from the Warao who nowadays inhibit the Orinoco Delta in South America. The next chapter introduces the 15 sites based on their geographic location, time period and the characteristics of their graveyards. Where possible the proportions within the graveyard assemblage between males and females, and Adults and Non-Adults will be reviewed. It will also be indicated how well preserved and complete the skeletons are, all of which can have influence on the conclusions which will be drawn later on. After the introduction of these sites the results are presented, indicating that three sites have a catastrophic demographic profile (El Chorro de Maita, Juan Dolio en Anse à la Gourde), three have a normal demographic profile (Maisabel, Kelbey’s Ridge en Pointe de Caille), one is a failed colonization attempt (Punta Candalero) and the other sites are characterized by incomplete analyses. The sites which have been incompletely analyzed appear to have a common pattern in which the mortality rates of the older age categories is higher than expected. An explanation for this pattern can however not be found. Form the 90 analyses it is apparent that the demography of the pre-Columbian Caribbean can be characterized as being very divers, without a general regional image. Furthermore it becomes clear that the standard population derived from the Warao is an alternative to the standard European models which works well in this context. The methodology worked and it is therefore possible to use this methodology in future researchers to allow for these researches to be placed in a broader context of demographic research.Show less
