Global Population Challenges in an Unequal World

This roundtable will engage panelists and attendees in a discussion on the impact of political and social change on demographic transitions; and vice versa, how demographic transitions trigger important social and political change.  In this context, panelists will reflect upon what they consider are present demographic transitions and socio/political currents at the forefront of contemporary and future social change.  Finally, how concerns over social justice emerge and will continue to emerge within the context of rapid demographic and social change as underscored by all panelists.    

Topics for discussion are broad and general  and include themes with wide social and political ramifications such as:  the impact of poverty on the demographics of Latin America (Guillermo Gonzalez Perez, Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico); European austerity policies resulting from the deep economic and financial crisis worldwide and its consequences in terms of class and fertility, births and the welfare of the elderly in Spain (Gerardo Zamora,  Universidad de Navarra (Spain); the global significance of the Chinese diaspora (Dudley Poston, Texas A & M University (United States), the relevance of gender politics, inequality and education in India (Rajendra Patil, Shivaji University (India); and the race-ethnic transition in the US, as the Latino population continues to grow while the white population declines (Rogelio Saenz, University of Texas, San Antonio (USA).

Discussants for this roundtable will include Encarnacion Aracil Rodriguez (Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain),  Farhat Yusuf (Australia) , Elena Bastida (Florida International University (USA).