The problems of rapid population growth and the global challenge of having “too many people” has today changed to a new demographic reality: one shaped by very low fertility, rapid population aging, mass migration and growing diversity. This fall’s Phi Beta Kappa Distinguished Lecture will examine these forces at both the global and local levels, and explore what they mean for work, housing, school, families, politics and institutions.
The talk by Matthew Hall, professor of public policy and sociology in the Brooks School of Public Policy is entitled “The New Population Problem: Fewer Babies, Older People, More Diverse Places.” It will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 4:30 p.m. in Lewis Auditorium, Rm. G76 Goldwin Smith Hall. The lecture is free and the public is invited.
“Demographic change quietly structures many of our biggest societal challenges: from labor shortages and school enrollment, to housing demand, political representation and debates over national identity,” said Laura Brown, the John Wendell Anderson Professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences and Phi Beta Kappa faculty president. “Since institutions often change slower than populations do, demographic shifts can create mismatches between societies as they are built and how they can serve. These questions are especially important for today’s students, who will inherit this demographic future.”
Hall, director of the Cornell Population Center, focuses his research on immigration, racial/ethnic inequality, population changes and the impacts of demographic forces on communities. He leads several initiatives in migration and applied demography, including efforts to connect demographic analysis with planning for New York State.
Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is the most prestigious and oldest undergraduate honor society for the liberal arts and sciences. Cornell’s chapter dates to May 28, 1883, and from the beginning has been open to both men and women in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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