Toward critical demography 2.0

Abstract

This paper reviews critical demography, revisiting its initial invocation as a paradigm focusing on the interweaving of power relations and demographic outcomes. Building on earlier critiques about demography's proclivity to positivist epistemology, I contribute to the initial proposition by framing demography as a power-knowledge, exposing the politics of demographic knowledge production. While critical demography remains marginal in demography, interdisciplinary demographers from allied fields have provided important contributions. Given the contemporary moment characterized by social and ecological upheavals, I argue for a recalibration—Critical Demography 2.0—which seriously reflects on the “critical” and works toward emancipatory politics, addressing issues of social justice and plight of marginalized populations. In moving forward, I argue for the need to think of praxis (demography for marginalized populations), epistemological diversity (mixed methods, critical quantification, and interdisciplinarity), and sustained engagement on critical themes. Critical geographers can offer an important role in recalibrating critical demography, by our emphasis on spatial politics and spatial justice, critical quantification, and community-engaged countermapping.