Demography is Destiny How Aging, Racial and Ethnic Diversity, evolving Gender Relations, and Immigration are Changing Ev

1. Demography is DestinyHow Aging, Racial and Ethnic Diversity, evolving Gender Relations, and Immigration are Changing Everything Open Classroom January-April 2011 Prof. Barry Bluestone Prof. John Sarvey

2. Sociological Issues • The reshaping of the American Family • Impact of demographic change on the nature of urban neighborhoods • Generational Differences in Culture (e.g. Baby boomers vs. Gen X vs. Millennials) • The impact of demography on Urban Space • The impact of demographic change on visual space • The impact of demographic change in public schools

3. Economic Issues • “Who’s Going to do the Work?” Implications of an aging workforce on future employment levels and unemployment • Role of older workers/”encore careers” in the workforce • Impact of immigration on employment opportunity • Need to retain and attract young workers to fill jobs and pay taxes (“Third Civil War”) • Impact of aging on Social Security and health care finance • Impact of aging on public sector pension programs • Changing racial and ethnic composition and impact on jobs and the economy

4. Political Issues • Impact of aging on elections • Impact of changing racial, ethnic, and gender composition on elections • Impact of changing racial, ethnic, and gender composition of elected officials

5. Demographic Change and Culture Impact ofdemographic change on: • Language • Music • Films • Theater • Art • Literature • Television • Internet • Facebook/Tweeter

6. International Affairs • The role of demographics in explaining economic growth and political power in developed and developing countries • Zero Population Growth (ZPG)/ Club of Rome • Too much population growth? • Too little population growth?

7. Week 1 – January 13Demographic Change: From the Family to the WorldBarry Bluestone; John Sarvey • Family • Community/Neighborhood • Workplace • School • City • State • Nation • World

8. Week 2 – January 19What’s Happening to the American Family?Kathryn Edin (Harvard) Kenneth Johnson (UNH) • Changing role of men and women • Changing family structure • Changing Face of America’s Children and Impact on the Economy and Politics • How the concept of “Home and Hearth” may be changing • Generational Change

9. Week 3 – January 26Prismatic CommunitiesRichard Chacon (MA Office of Refugees & Immigrants); Mary Waters (Harvard) • The New Demographics of our Immigrant Population • Immigration & Intergroup Relations

10. Week 4 – February 2The Changing American Workplace: Part IOsborne Jackson (NU); Robert Triest (Boston Fed) • Changing Role of Women in the workplace • Changing Role of Minorities in the workplace • The Impact of Demographic Change on U.S. Labor Markets • Impact of Immigration on job opportunity • Changing culture due to generational shifts

11. Week 5 – February 9The Changing American Workplace: Part IIJoe Quinn (Boston College); Phyllis Segal (Civic Ventures) • Impact of demographic change on employment and unemployment • Impact of demographic change on Social Security and Retirement • Role of Older Workers & Encore Careers • Role of Younger Workers

12. Week 6 – February 16Demographic Change and our Public SchoolsJohn Logan (Brown University) • Changing racial/ethnic composition of urban and suburban schools • Geography of Educational Inequality

13. Week 8 – February 23Visualizing the Evolving American CityJohanna Londono (NU); Peter Vandervarker (Photographer) • Demographics and the Changing visual appearance of the cities and suburbs

14. March 2 – Spring Break

15. Week 7 – March 9A Future for Older Industrial Cities? Dan Okrent (Journalist); Teresa Lynch (ICIC) • The Aging of Cities • Impact of growing income and wealth inequality on city life • Detroit: A Case Study

16. Week 9 – March 16Will Demographics Bankrupt Massachusetts?Alan Clayton-Matthews (NU); Alicia Sasser (Boston Fed) • “Third Civil War” – Competition for young workers and families • Domestic In-migration • Impact of aging population on revenues and public spending • Public Pension Crisis

17. Week 10 – March 23Demographic Change, Politics, and Culture • Impact of immigration, aging, and racial/ethnic change on elections, politics, and policy • Demography and National Security • Impact of demographic change on culture (e.g. language, music, film, theater, art, literature, TV, internet)

18. Week 11 – March 30Can America Afford an Aging Society?Deborah Banda (AARP) • Impact of aging population on Social Security • Impact of aging population on health care financing

19. Week 12 – April 6Demographic Change and the Affluence of NationsMartin Whyte (Harvard) • Impact of demographic change on • Japan – the Geriatric Society • China and India – Racing with the population bomb • Russia – Population decline and its impacts • Western Europe – The impacts of immigration

20. Week 13 – April 13Population Growth and National StabilityLarry Lowenthal; Denis Sullivan (NU) • Israel & the Middle East • Population Growth in Egypt • The Environment/Population roots of instability and violence