Call for papers

The Federation of Canadian Demographers announces a special conference on the contributions of longitudinal approaches to the understanding of the challenges that demographic trends represent for 21 st century societies. During the last decade, social science specialists have shown that, in order to understand the contemporary world and to prepare for the future, research must take into account the dynamic interweave between the life course of individuals and broader social changes. The diversity of individual trajectories can significantly influence the organization of societies, and societies must adapt in order to support the evolving individual choices and reduce the constraints that act to limit people’s success in attaining the lives they seek. Recent developments in analytical methods and in data collection activities, including the growing number of longitudinal data sets – panel and family-life surveys, demographic surveillance systems, etc. – in Canada and worldwide, have allowed for the increased reliance on powerful longitudinal approaches by research projects over the past years. The results of these projects deserve to be more largely disseminated and debated in order to better inform researchers, policy-makers, planners, and the population in general.

Demographic challenges and conference themes

Family transformation
International immigration and the integration of immigrants in host societies
Youth and the transitions to adulthood
Patterns of labour market participation including the transition to retirement
Health during the various life stages
And all other transitions that are related to, or that influence, demographic behavior.

Topics of papers and conference objectives

Priority will be given to papers that emphasize the research results of empirical studies using longitudinal data with regard to the causes and consequences of demographic phenomena. The texts should also draw attention to the political implications of the analysis in order to heighten public and policymakers awareness about the need to take into account the link between phenomena and individual pathways. Papers that discuss methodological challenges or statistical techniques related to longitudinal analysis will also be welcomed. [“Implication” is abit of a faux-ami – not really used in this way in English. Perhaps replace with “significance”]

To whom is this call for papers addressed

In order to maximize the potential impact of this conference for the scientific community and for policymakers, this call for papers is being broadly disseminated among researchers working in Canada , in other developed countries, and in developing countries, regardless of their disciplinary perspective: demography, sociology, economics, anthropology, geography, epidemiology, public health, psychology, etc.

Particular attention will be given to papers submitted by students, including financial support to attend the conference and a prize for the best student-authored paper.

Languages at the conference: French and English (simultaneous translation may be provided in some of the sessions conditional on funding).

Dissemination of results

Abstracts will be made available online on the conference website prior to the conference. A CD containing all the presentations (in Powerpoint) will also be given to conference participants.

The organizing committee is also discussing the possibility of publishing some of the papers in special issues of selected journals.

Procedures to submit an abstract

Deadline to submit an abstract: 1 December 2004.The abstract should include the following information:

• A text of 250 words (maximum) that describes the research question(s), the data, method, and expected results.
• Author’s status: professor, researcher, or student
• Institutional affiliation.

Note that each individual can only submit one paper as first (or sole) author.

Selection of papers

Only papers that adopt a longitudinal approach will be selected. Priority will be given to papers based on prospective longitudinal data (e.g., panels and demographic surveillance systems), although studies based on other sources of longitudinal data will also be considered: qualitative approaches based on life histories, historical approaches, etc.

Please send abstracts in Word or pdf formate, by email to:

Authors will be notified about the selection of papers by 1 March 2005 .

The papers and Powerpoint presentations must be submitted at the latest by 15 September 2005 .