Presentation
The "Interface Demography" is the unit for population studies at the VUB. Originally is has been founded by the Belgian Science Policy. The unit fulfils the following functions:
The interface function: consisting of archiving the raw data as gathered by various governmental services (e.g. Statistics Belgium, Population register, Social Security Data Bank etc.) and of the preparation of these data for scientific analyses by third parties (e.g. other governmental services, planning offices, university departments, academics). Most of the data archived so far are the anonymized records of the Belgian censuses of 1981, 1991 and 2001, and the vital statistics records (births, deaths, migrations) for various years. These vital statistics records for the years after 1991 are matched to the 1991 census records for the entire population legally residing in Belgium. This is quite a unique and rich data base for the study of differential fertility, mortality and migration in this country and for highly detailed studies in population geography. For the 2001 census the same matching has been applied.
Data collection function: the unit is also the organizer of demographic and socio-economic surveys in Belgium. The most recent ones include surveys among the Turkish and Moroccan populations: (i) "Patterns of Family Formation and Values Orientations" conducted in 1992-93 among 1700 Turkish and Moroccan women in Flanders and Brussels, and (ii) "Migration Histories and Social Mobility" conducted in 1995-96 among 2800 Turkish and Moroccan men in Belgium.
In-house analysis: the unit has been involved in both national and international projects since 1977. The main orientations are: demography of sub-Saharan Africa, fertility transition studies, historical demography, socio-economic and demographic studies pertaining to Western European populations, the study of ethnic minorities, cultural and economic determinants of demographic behaviour, values studies, population geography, the demography of households, demographic and statistical methodology.
Contact
The "Interface Demography" is located at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Free University of Brussels) (VUB). Formally called "Interuniversity Programme in Demography" (IPD), it was founded in 1977. It is a research section of the Faculty of Economic, Social and Political Sciences and the Solvay Management School (ESP).
Mailing address: Interface Demography, Vakgroep Sociaal Onderzoek, VUB, Pleinlaan 5, B-1050 Brussels, BELGIUM
Visiting address: Pleinlaan 5, 2nd floor
Fax: ++32-2-614 81 35
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