Technological Prospects and Population Trends

The world’s population is now estimated at over 5 billion, and projections call for a continued high growth rate, predominantly in the less-developed countries. Concern over the consequences of this situation has led to numerous public policy debates, and the complex interrelationships between population and technology have become an important new topic in demographic research. The papers in this book are based on a symposium entitled “Technological Prospects and Population Trends” arranged for the 150th National Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in New York City in May 1984. The book focuses on clarification of the impact that technological development and population change have on one another. For instance, how may population and related socioeconomic trends be conditioned by expected or foreseeable technological changes? What is the impact of population on technology in both the developed and newly industrializing areas of the world? Linking demography with developments in the major areas of agriculture, education, contraception, longevity, and health care, the distinguished contributors offer diverse yet integrated perspectives on what is fast becoming one of the major issues of our time.