Videos

"Societies will move on and master everything" - an interview with Jitka Rychtaříková (Department of Demography and Geodemography, Charles University in Prague). Questions: 1) What are the main differences concerning life-expectancy between European countries? 2) What are the reasons for these differences? 3) Will the gained years be spent in good health? 4) How is the situation in Eastern and Central Europe concerning fertility and family policies? 5) Do we have to expect a conflict between old and young people?

An interview with Katalin Kovács (Hungarian Demographic Research Institute) on life expectancy. Questions: 1. The media often report that men die earlier than women, and non-affluent people sooner than those who are wealthy, is this really true? 2. Comparing the impact of gender and education on mortality, which is stronger? 3. Are these patterns similar everywhere in Europe, or is the situation different in post-socialist central and eastern European countries?

"Deal with decline, don't fight it!" - an interview with Leo van Wissen. Questions: 1. You are an expert in spatial demography, could you explain what that means? 2. Population decline is a phenomenon in various European regions. What are the reasons? 3. Could population decline be stopped and how? 4. Do you mean policy makers in regions with declining population simply have to accept this process? 5. What does "dealing with decline" mean? 6. Which infrastructure is crucial to prevent the "death" of a region, is it a health system?

"Everyone who is old today, was young at one time" - an interview with Michael Murphy. Questions: 1. As an expert on modelling and forecasts, what would you say will be the defining features of the global population in 2050? 2. From a global perspective, are there differences between the regions? 3. How reliable can todays' scenarios for 2050 be? 4. What do you consider to be the biggest policy challenge resulting from population ageing? 5. Do we have to fear a "war between generations"?

An interview with Michaela Kreyenfeld (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research) on fatherhood. Questions: 1. My former partner and I split up some years ago, but I am still very involved in the upbringing of our child. However, I often feel that separated fathers have quite a bad image – what is the reality in Europe? 2. What are the main factors that influence the level of contact a father has after a separation? 3. To what extent can policies and legal frameworks influence the behaviour of fathers?

"Fertility and female labour market participation can go together" - an interview with Olivier Thévenon on fertility and female labour market participation. Questions:

"We have to focus on trying to get men to change" - an interview with Pearl Dykstra (Erasmus University Rotterdam). Questions: 1. Are there differences between men and women when it comes to working preferences? 2. What differences exist between European countries in the context of female work patterns? 3. Which policies could help to change these gendered work patterns? 4. What are the social prospects of single and childless people when they get older?

An interview with Róbert Gál (Hungarian Demographic Research Institute) on intergenerational transfers and social policies.   Questions: 1. I often worry about the security of my pension and how the younger generations will cope with the financial burdens awaiting them because of the increasing number of older people. Can research tell us how these imbalances will really develop? 2. Pensions and healthcare are big draws on public finances, but older people also complete a lot of unpaid work. Is this accounted for in the statistics at all?

An interview with Ross McMillan (Bocconi University) on health over the life course. Questions: 1. I often hear that highly educated people are healthier in old age. Do I have to worry now because I don’t have a university degree? 2. What explains the health differences between people who otherwise live in similar circumstances? 3. How exactly can my cognitive abilities have an impact on my health? 4. Which impact could your findings have on policy makers? Should there be compulsory health education for young children in school for example?

An interview with Sergi Vidal (University of Bremen) on mobility. Questions: 1. My husband has been offered a job in another city. Even though this would be a major career step for him, I am a bit worried about my own job prospects. What does research have to say about these things? 2. Is the situation different when couples only move to another city or region but stay in the same country? 3. What other factors can affect the gender balance in a couple when a family changes their place of residence?