Week Six Questions

Samuel Preston. 1984. Diverging paths for America's dependents.

If we think like Malthus, how would we expect population aging (more elders, fewer children) to affect the well-being of children? What does Preston find about actual trends?
If we think like Malthus, how would we expect population aging (more elders, fewer children) to affect the well-being of older people? What does Preston find about actual trends?
How does Preston explain the trends he finds for well-being of children and the elderly--is it the result of competition in a "zero-sum" game?

Ansley Coale. 1986. Demographic effects of below-replacement fertility and their social implications.

If we ignore net migration, what level of the TFR would lead to a stable U.S. population size, and when did Coale say this size would be reached? (Coale's Figure 1)
Even with migration, what shares of the population would be under 20 and over 65 by 2070 with replacement fertility? With a TFR of 1.6 children per woman? (Coale's Table 2)
What is the difference between collateral and ancestral relatives, and what does Coale say happens to the prevalance of each type of relatives in low-fertility societies?
Summarize Myrdal's description of how age pyramids used to be suited to career ladders in working life. What happens to this demographic/career match when birth rates stay low, and why?