Contemporary demographers have increasingly begun to use qualitative methods, traditionally the province of anthropology, and an increasing number of anthropologists study demographic phenomena. Yet, demographic analysis rarely makes use of anthropological theory, while anthropologists who focus on population issues rarely use quantitative demographic data. Thus, in fundamental ways, anthropology and demography are not yet connected. I will argue that this is because the natures of the disciplines make such a link difficult to forge. I will further argue that economics may be able to play a mediating role between the two disciplines.
