John Caldwell (demographer)

John Charles "Jack" Caldwell AO (born 8 December 1928) is a leading demographer, particularly in the fields of fertility transition and health transition. He has researched extensively in Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia since 1959. He has had a significant impact on demographic teaching, research and policy formulation.

Biography

Caldwell was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and educated at Sydney University and Sydney Teachers College (1946–48), University of New England (1955–1958), Australian National University (Ph.D, 1959–61). In February 1948, he married Pat Caldwell (12 January 1922 – 24 May 2008), who had been widowed as a result of the sinking of the HMAS Armidale in World War II and had one son, Peter. They had three sons during their 60 years together, Colin, Grahame and Bruce. Pat participated extensively in demographic research in Africa and Asia and co-authored two books and a considerable number of research papers. [Death notice, The Canberra Times, 26 May 2008] []

Caldwell's first academic appointment was at the University of Ghana (1962–64), and he has been on the staff of the Department of Demography at the Australian National University since 1964 apart from two years leave working for the Population Council in New York City in 1968 and at the University of Ife, Nigeria in 1969. He has been a professor since 1970. In 1989 he helped start the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University in Canberra. He remained there till 1998 as Director of its Health Transition Centre. In 1991 the Health Transition Review was published from the Australian National University until 1997 with Caldwell as its editor.

In 1995 Caldwell retired as Professor at the Australian National University and Associate Director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. An international conference, "The Continuing Demographic Transition John C Caldwell Seminar" was held in his honour at the Australian National University. In 1996 he became Emeritus Professor of Demography at the Australian National University. In 1998 the John C Caldwell Chair in Population, Health and Development was established in his honour at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health.

Caldwell is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and has been president of the "International Union for the Scientific Study of Population" and a member of the Population Council. He is the author of 25 books, 128 book chapters and 139 journal articles.

Influence in demographic research

According to the "Encyclopedia of Population", Caldwell's work on demographic and health transition is "cited almost "de rigueur" by those in these fields". He is particularly noted for his "wealth flows" theory, which relates demographic transition to changes in intergenerational transfers within the family. This theory has been criticised for its lack of testability, but it has "captured the imagination of many researchers" and stimulated micro-demographic research in the field. He has worked on many areas of demographic theory, including the importance of education and the status of women in determining demographic change, and the study of the AIDS epidemic, particularly in Africa. [cite encyclopedia
title = Caldwell, John C.
encyclopedia =Encyclopedia of Population
volume = 1
pages = 507
publisher = Macmillan Reference
date = 2003
id = ISBN 0-02-865677-6 ] [cite web
work=HIVAN fellows
title = Professor Jack Caldwell and Pat Caldwell: The African AIDS Epidemic
publisher =Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking
date = 2002–05
url=http://www.hivan.org.za/gettoknowus/fellows.asp
accessdate = 2006-12-31 ] The first global survey of demographers carried out in 2000 reported that John Caldwell and Ansley J. Coale were recorded as being in approximately equal first place in their impact on demographic teaching, research and policy formulation over the second half of the 20th century. [cite book
last = Chasteland
first = Jean-Claude
authorlink =
coauthors = Michel Loriqux and Louis Roussel (eds)
title = Demographie 2000
publisher = Bruyland-Academia
date = 2000
location = Louvain-la-neuve, Belgium
id = fr icon]

Awards

*United Nations Population Award (2004) [cite web
title = Press Conference on 2004 UN Population Award
work = Press Briefing
publisher = United Nations
date = 6 July 2004
url = http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2004/Population_Award_Briefing_040706.doc.htm
accessdate = 2006-12-14 ] [cite web
title = Presentation of United Nations Population Award
publisher = United Nations
date = 6 July 2004
url = http://www.un.org/av/photo/detail/0014900.asp
accessdate = 2006-12-14 ]
*Officer of the Order of Australia (1994) [ [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=886013&search_type=quick&showInd=true It's an Honour] - Officer of the Order of Australia]
*Irene Tauber Award for excellence in demographic research (1985)
*Honorary Doctor of Science (Social Sciences), University of Southampton (1992)
*Honorary Doctor of Science (Science), Australian National University (1992)
*Centenary Medal for services to Australian society in epidemiology and population health (2001) [ [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1127522&search_type=quick&showInd=true It's an Honour] - Centenary Medal]
*Award of the Australian Research Citation Laureateship (2004)

elected Bibliography

*cite journal
last = Caldwell
first = John C.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Toward a restatement of demographic transition theory
journal = Population and Development Review
volume = 2
issue = 3/4
pages = 321–366
publisher = Population Council
date = 1976
accessdate =
doi = 10.2307/1971615
*cite book
last = Caldwell
first = John C.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Theory of Fertility Decline
publisher = Academic Press
date = 1982
location = London
pages =1503
url =
id = ISBN 012155080X
*cite journal
last = Caldwell
first = John C.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Routes to low mortality in poor countries
journal = Population and Development Review
volume = 12
issue = 2
pages = 171–220
publisher = Population Council
date = June 1986
accessdate =
doi = 10.2307/1973108
*cite journal
last = Caldwell
first = John C.
authorlink =
coauthors = Pat Caldwell
title = The African AIDS epidemic
journal = Scientific American
volume = 274
issue = 3
pages = 40–46
publisher = Population Council
date = 1996
accessdate =
*cite book
last = Caldwell
first = John C.
authorlink =
coauthors = Bruce K Caldwell, Pat Caldwell, Peter F McDonald, Thomas Schindlmayr
title =Demographic Transition Theory
publisher = Springer
date = 2006
location = Dordrecht, The Netherlands
pages =418
url =
id = ISBN 1-4020-4373-2

Works about John Caldwell

*cite journal
last = Schultz
first = T Paul
authorlink =
title = John C. Caldwell, Theory of Fertility Decline
journal = Population and Development Review
volume = 9
issue = 1
pages = 161–168
publisher = Population Council
date = March 1983
accessdate =
doi = 10.2307/1972905
*cite journal
last = Willis
first = Robert J.
authorlink =
title = The direction of intergenerational transfers and demographic transition: The Caldwell hypothesis reexamined
journal = Population and Development Review
volume = 8
issue = supp
pages = 207–234
publisher = Population Council
date = 1982
accessdate =
doi = 10.2307/2808116

References

Persondata
NAME=Caldwell, John Charles
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Caldwell, Jack
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian demographer
DATE OF BIRTH=8 December 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH=Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
DATE OF DEATH=Living person
PLACE OF DEATH=