Sociology and the Reproductive Self: Demographic Transitions and Modernity
Author(s)
Van Krieken, Robert
Abstract
The relation between sociology and demography is complex. There is a long history of sociological interest in population and demography, not least because of its obvious centrality to economic development and urbanisation. Marx devoted considerable effort to his critique of Malthus, and Durkheim regarded increasing density of population in urban centres as a vital element of the transition from mechanical to organic solidarity. Edward Ross examined the sociological significance of the declining birth-rate. Indeed it was difficult for any social theorist early this century to avoid attending to the significance of the ‘population question’. From the 1930s to the 1960s many of the major writers in demography were sociologists, and historical sociologists have also been key players in historical demography. The institutional connections are also strong, with many demographers beginning their training in sociology. This article does not reduce to the simple proposition that sociologists today ‘neglect’ demography. We all know that sociologists spend considerable time and effort studying childhood, human development, intergenerational social mobility, socialisation and family life, and have also made major contributions to demographic debates. This article argues that at the same time there is a strong tendency towards perceiving both modern and postmodern individuals as primarily autonomous, self-contained, more or less rational beings.
