Research

Faculty affiliated with the Population Center are involved in several demographic research projects. Here are some of them:

Early-life conditions and cognitive health in later life

There is a growing interest in understanding how early-life conditions are associated with cognitive health among older adults. This project especially focuses on the complex life-course pathways underlying childhood characteristics and cognitive function in later life.

 

Intergenerational relationships and health in the global context

The active roles of older adults in families and intergenerational relationships have attracted attention as life expectancy has increased in the world. This study explores how intergenerational relationships influence older adults' physical and mental health and how the association varies by sociocultural context.

Transnational experiences and immigration status of Latin American immigrants in the US

Immigrants coming from Latin American countries are the largest group of immigrants in the US. This project focuses, on one hand, on the international migration from El Salvador and their transnational experience. On the other hand it explores the effect of undocumented status on educational and/or labor market outcomes among those who migrate as young adults from Latin America.

Place attachment, environmental changes and migration

There is widespread consensus that climate change will create large numbers of refugees, some estimate as many as 200 million by 2050. However, recent studies show that even when confronted with extreme environmental changes, people are reluctant to leave their place of birth. While most of migration studies focus on why people leave, this proposed study analyzes why people stay despite the harsh economic and environmental conditions.

US Skilled Immigrants: Education and the Life Course

This study intends to research the effects of education level on the labor force participation and income of immigrants. The question behind this project is a policy related one: are indeed the skilled immigrants likely to do better than the low skilled immigrants on the US job market? Do they get higher incomes? Are they less exposed to spells of unemployment? Or is rather that the US market more in need of unskilled immigrants, who would do the jobs Americans no longer want to do?