Arab Political Demography
Volume One: Population Growth and Natalist Policies
Published on 1. March 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
215 pages
978-1-902210-71-1 (ISBN)
Description
Written specifically for classroom and student use, with more than 35 tables and figures, this book sets out the political demographic of the Arab countries by: Examining the sources for demographic research of the Arab countries; Explaining the nature of the population growth in the Arab countries in comparison with other developing countries world-wide; Examining the development of structural unemployment in the non oil-based and oil-based Arab countries since the mid-1980s, and investigating the natal policies of both the oil and the non-oil Arab countries, and attempting to answer the crucial question of why some Arab countries succeed more than others in implementing fertility decline. A concluding chapter examines the political dilemmas arising from the different demographies and economies in the Arab states. During the 20th century, worldwide population increased more rapidly than ever before, with the world's population amounting to 6.1 billion by the year 2000. The main contributors to the rapid worldwide population growth were the developing countries, including the Arab countries. During the second half of the 20th century, the demographic issue became the most acute socio-economic problem of the non-oil Arab countries, bringing with it a variety of political implications, both internal and external.
Reviews / Votes
"Onn Winckler has been for a number of years a leading light in the field of demographic studies on particular Arab countries; with Arab Political Demography, Winckler integrates new research with his already existing compendium of knowledge on the subject to produce an outstanding and timely examination of an important aspect of development in the Arab world." -- David W. Lesch, Professor of Middle East History, Trinity University."Fresh, focused, and provocative, Arab Political Demography reaffirms Winckler's reputation as the most reliable and engaging writer on demographic and population policies in the Middle East. This book is must reading for scholars and policy makers concerned with the Middle East, and offers a model for regional demographic studies elsewhere." -- Dale F. Eickelman, Dartmouth College,s coauthor (with James Piscatori) of Muslim Politics (2nd edition, 2004).
"Winckler expertly shows how natalist and macroeconomic policies need to go hand-in-hand if Arab countries ever hope to emerge from their underdeveloped status, and he offers an invaluable political, cultural and economic history of how the Arab demographic dilemma reached this point." -- David W. Lesch, Professor of Middle East History, Trinity University and author of The Middle East and the United States: A Historical and Political Reassessment.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Liverpool
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
tables & charts
Dimensions
Height: 171 mm
Width: 246 mm
Weight
408 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-902210-71-1 (9781902210711)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Onn Winckler is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Middle Eastern History at the University of Haifa. He is the author of Demographic Developments and Population Policies in Ba'thist Syria, and co-editor of Modern Syria, as well as the author of a book on Jordanian demographic developments.
Content
Introduction: The Methodological Framework; The Emergence of "Poor and Rich" Arab States; The Concept of Arab Political Demography. Part 1 -- Sources for Demographic Research of the Arab States; The Demographic Records History of the Arab States; Case Studies in Demographic Records History; The "Missing" Ethno-Religious Composition of the Arab States; The Lacuna of Accurate Official Employment Data; The "Informal (Hidden) Economy"; Conclusions. Part 2 -- Beyond the Expectations: Arab Population Growth in the Twentieth Century; Worldwide Population Growth in Retrospect; Demographic Transition Theory and the Arab Countries; Population Growth in the Arab Countries; The Revolution of Mortality Rates in the Arab Countries; Conclusions 69. Part 3 -- "Jobs for the Boys (and Girls)": The Emergence of the Employment Dilemma; The Consequences of the Young Age Structure; Arab Employment Developments in Retrospect; The Increase in Disguised Unemployment and Underemployment; Unemployment as a Differentiating Factor between the Arab Countries and the Developed Countries; Conclusions. Part 4 -- Between Pro-Natalist and Anti-Natalist in the Arab Countries; The Attitudes Toward Population Growth in Historical Perspective; The "Population Policy" Definitions; The Natalist Approach of the Arab Countries: A Historical Analysis; Evaluation of the Family Planning Programs in the Arab Countries; Why Tunisia and Lebanon?; Conclusions.