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A World of Populations

A World of Populations

Heinrich Hartmann | Corinna R. Unger

(2014)

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Book Details

Abstract

Demographic study and the idea of a “population” was developed and modified over the course of the twentieth century, mirroring the political, social, and cultural situations and aspirations of different societies. This growing field adapted itself to specific policy concerns and was therefore never apolitical, despite the protestations of practitioners that demography was “natural.” Demographics were transformed into public policies that shaped family planning, population growth, medical practice, and environmental conservation. While covering a variety of regions and time periods, the essays in this book share an interest in the transnational dynamics of emerging demographic discourses and practices. Together, they present a global picture of the history of demographic knowledge.


“…an important step in writing global or transnational histories of demographic ideas and discourses… The volume offers insights into global and local interactions, covers major aspects of global family planning programmes and "overpopulation" debates, as well as contains case studies on the United States, Poland, Chile, South Korea, Turkey, Kenya, and Melanesia.” · H-Soz-Kult

“I learned something new on almost every page of A World of Populations, despite having worked very closely in this field. The case studies herein are surprising and fascinating, offering new geographies and perspectives. This book has made me intrigued and curious about demography and world population all over again.” · Alison Bashford, University of Cambridge, author of Global Population

“Overall, this is a compelling, well-researched set of essays..[that] show us the nuanced, place-specific negotiations between international institutions and experts, national political entities, and local actors… Both the overall picture and the specific stories provided in this text are important contributions to the emerging literature on the history and social studies of demography and population policy.” · Saul Halfon, Virginia Tech


Corinna R. Unger is Professor of Global and Colonial History (19th and 20th centuries) at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.


Heinrich Hartmann is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Basel, Switzerland. His book, Der Volkskörper bei der Musterung. Militärstatistik und Demographie in Europa vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg (Wallstein 2011) received the Henry E. Sigerist Award in 2012. His research focuses on the history of nineteenth and twentieth century demography in Europe and on the history of Turkish modernization in a transnational perspective.

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Title page iii
Copyright iv
Contents v
Figures vii
Introduction 1
PART I PRODUCING DEMOGRAPHIC SUBJECTS 17
1 The View From Below and the View From Above 19
2 “Reproduction” as a New Demographic Issue in Interwar Poland 36
3 Family Planning-A Rational Choice? 58
4 “Overpopulation” and the Politics of Family Planning in Chile and Peru 83
5 Revisiting the Early 1970s Commoner-Ehrlich Debate about Population and Environment 108
PART II DEMOGRAPHIC KNOWLEDGE IN PRACTICE 127
6 Counting People 129
7 Laparoscopy as a Technology of Population Control 147
8 A Twofold Discovery of Population 178
9 Seeing Population as a Problem 201
10 Filtering Demography and Biomedical Technologies 222
Notes on Contributors 243
Index 247