Proposal Description

The Importance of Place: Bringing Spatial Tools to Population Data

Accounting for location context is critical to analyzing human populations. Embedded in the concept of “place” are characteristics about environments in which people live, move, and interact, such as climate, land use, built areas, political and social systems. The research featured here uses spatial referencing and GIS tools created by IPUMS to enhance location-based study of population characteristics and dynamics in a global context. These topics include population change in the wake of climate disruptions; the living arrangements of older adults in cognitive decline; and cross temporal changes in occupational structures of urban areas. In addition to addressing the substantive issues, this session features methods for using spatial information to enhance and extend the analytical power of census data.

Using Census data to assess Social and Demographic Effects of Extreme Weather Events and
Climate Change

Extreme weather like earthquakes, hurricanes and typhoons are catastrophic, causing considerable physical damage or loss to housing and infrastructure. The negative effects on population characteristics recover only partially and very slowly. This paper measures the impact of extreme weather, hurricanes, on social and demographic variables over time using IPUMS harmonized census data from four countries using census microdata from before and after the event: Louisiana, USA (hurricane Katarina, 2005); Jamaica (hurricane Gilbert, 1988); Fiji (tropical cyclone Meli, 1979); and Bangladesh (1991 Bangladesh cyclone). We also use CHIRPS data to assess changes in monthly rainfall in these areas over the years. This study will help us understand how changing climate and extreme weather influence human behavior and will contribute to the mitigation of their effects in coastal areas and island nations.

The Living Arrangements and Family Caregiving Implications for Older Adults with Cognitive Impairments

The United Nations projects that the population aged 60 and older will grow by over 50% over the next 15 years, leading to a growing number of older adults with Alzheimer’s-related dementias (ADRD). The issue is understudied in the low- and middle-income countries where the burden of caregiving usually rests on immediate family members, for whom intensive needs of people with ADRDs can be overwhelming. Our paper centers on the potential family caregivers who are living with elderly people reporting cognitive disability. We focus on 3 countries: Vietnam, Mexico, and South Africa, which all have recent census microdata with Washington Group cognitive disability questions. Our goal is to inform policy to support caregivers of family members with ADRD at an early age.

Evolving Global Trends in Science and Technology Occupations

As the world progresses deeper into the digital age, the landscape of science and technology occupations undergoes profound transformations. This paper investigates the shifting trends observed in these occupations, analyzing the impacts of globalization and digitization on the nature of work and skill requirements. Using occupational information in global censuses from 20 countries around the world, this paper concentrates on the shifting concentrations of people employed in the science, technology, and engineering fields, and considers other aspects of the surrounding economic environment.