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. 2023 Sep;50(3):4.
doi: 10.1007/s42650-023-00076-8. Epub 2023 Jul 17.

Demography as a Field: Where We Came From and Where We Are Headed

Luca Maria Pesando  1   2 , Audrey Dorélien  3 , Xavier St-Denis  4 , Alexis Santos  5
Affiliations

Demography as a Field: Where We Came From and Where We Are Headed

Luca Maria Pesando et al. Can Stud Popul. 2023 Sep.

Abstract
in English, French

This essay provides a series of reflections on the current state of demography as seen by four early-career researchers who are actively engaged in aspects of the discipline as varied as research, teaching, mentorship, data collection efforts, policy making, and policy advising. Despite some claims that the discipline is weakening, we showcase the great potential of the field and outline promising pathways and novel directions for the future. In so doing, we critically assess recent innovations in data quality and availability, stressing the need to "revolutionize" the way that demographic methods are taught by adopting a viewpoint that more closely reflects the rapidly changing, or "fast," nature of global social phenomena such as conflict-related displacements, environmental disasters, migration streams, pandemics, and evolving population policies. We conclude by discussing the relevance of careful demographic analyses for policy making, stressing three main points: (i) the need to make demography more visible and understandable to the public eye; (ii) the importance of engaging and co-creating with local communities to "break" the academic bubble; and (iii) the urge to counteract the spread of misinformation-a phenomenon that has become even more visible in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Cet article propose une série de réflexions sur l’état actuel de la démographie selon le point de vue de quatre chercheurs en début de carrière activement engagés dans certaines branches de la discipline telles que la recherche, l’enseignement, le mentorat, la collecte de données, l’élaboration des politiques et le conseil en matière de politiques. Malgré certaines allégations affirmant que la discipline est en perte de vitesse, nous mettons en évidence son immense potentiel et décrivons les orientations prometteuses et originales qui se profilent. À cet effet, nous évaluons de façon critique les récentes innovations en matière de qualité et de disponibilité des données tout en soulignant la nécessité de « révolutionner » l’enseignement des méthodes démographiques en adoptant un point de vue reflétant plus fidèlement l’évolution rapide des phénomènes sociaux mondiaux, notamment les déplacements de populations liés aux conflits, les catastrophes environnementales, les flux migratoires, les pandémies et l’évolution des politiques démographiques. Nous concluons en discutant de la pertinence des analyses démographiques approfondies nécessaires à l’élaboration des politiques en soulignant trois points essentiels : (i) la nécessité d’améliorer la visibilité et l’intelligibilité de la démographie aux yeux du public, (ii) l’importance de s’engager auprès des communautés locales et de collaborer avec elles pour « percer » la bulle académique, et (iii) la nécessité de lutter contre la diffusion de fausses informations, phénomène qui s’est renforcé dans le sillage de l’épidémie de COVID-19.

Keywords: Data and methods; Demography; Innovations; Pedagogy; Public policy.

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