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No doubt you’ve noticed the recent, growing media concern about population instability? Last year, the international medical journal, The Lancet, reported that “Fertility is declining globally, with rates in more than half of all countries and territories in 2021 below replacement level”.The effects of shrinking birth rates have already impacted Japan and Germany. Both nations face challenges such as an aging population, potential workforce shortages, and economic pressure on social security systems.
So will nations need to rely on migration to sustain a working population? Opening the borders to may well become the only way to sustain long-term economic growth. The far-right has long made the issue of falling fertility a cause celebre. To increase migration, another hot button for right-wing reactionaries, will surely add fuel to the fire. Undoubtedly, massive global social change is underway.
Dr. Bernice Kuang, a researcher on the Fertility Trend project at the University of Southampton, will show how a more nuanced, realistic picture of the UK’s fertility trends can be obtained. When young couples decide if and when to start a family, which factors are truly significant? Bernice will reveal the results of an in-depth investigation, and will compare how the UK’s fertility trends compare with that of other countries globally.
Bernice studies fertility patterns across the constituent countries of the UK. She completed her PhD in Social Statistics and Demography at the University of Southampton, and her masters in public health, with a concentration in demography, at Johns Hopkins University. She has worked on various USAID and privately funded population health projects as a technical advisor in reproductive health. Bernice’s main research areas are fertility, partnership formation and dissolution, and family planning.
Following the talk from our guest, you may put your questions to the speaker in a Q&A (after the interval). Do support the venue by purchasing drinks at the bar before and during the event.
Admission is £5, which includes an entry in the book raffle. We take cash and major cards (cards preferred).
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Winchester Club, Highfield Lodge, Worthy Lane, Winchester, United Kingdom
