Toxic Demography: Ideology and the Politics of Population

In Toxic Demography, Jennifer D. Sciubba, Michael S. Teitelbaum, and Jay Winter explore the deep entanglement of population dynamics with identity, modernization, nationalism, and populism. They unravel how concepts like "family" and "nation"--often seen as straightforward--carry diverse and politicized meanings that shape demographic debates. Focusing on the United States, Europe, and Asia, the authors examine the demographic dimensions of political conflict and the societal changes driven by aging populations and low fertility rates. These regions, at the forefront of unprecedented demographic transitions, reveal how population trends have been co-opted to serve political agendas that transform population debates into battlegrounds for broader ideological struggles.

Drawing on historical and contemporary examples, Toxic Demography offers a critical lens to understand the persistent politicization of reproduction, fertility, and migration, showing how these distortions shape the futures of nations and societies.