Stuart Gietel-Basten
Biographic Data
| ID | 140482 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Stuart Gietel-Basten |
| GIVEN NAMES | Stuart |
| FAMILY NAME | Gietel-Basten |
| SIGNATURE | GIETEL-BASTEN S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Hong Kong University of Science and Technology |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5818-8283 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 53 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 209 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 53 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 9 |
Social capital and loneliness among older adults
Background Social capital is associated with loneliness among older adults. However, this aspect has received minimal attention among Bangladeshi rural older adults. Objectives This research examines whether social capital is connected to loneliness in older adults by exploring different aspects of social capital and how they relate to feelings of loneliness. Methods This research used a mixed-methods approach. In addition to qualitative data col…
Beyond Lowest‐Low Fertility
This paper argues for a paradigm shift in demography, moving beyond the alarmist and deterministic narratives fixated on “lowest‐low fertility (LLF)” (total fertility rate ≤ 1.3). Initially a useful heuristic, the LLF concept now obscures more than it reveals, as it conflates vastly different demographic trajectories across an increasingly heterogeneous global landscape. We demonstrate that factors like international migration, mortality reductio…
Population Ageing and Economic Dependency in Thailand
While population ageing poses fiscal and dependency challenges for Thailand, conventional measures of population ageing may misrepresent future burdens by overlooking key societal changes under way.Given improvements in health and life expectancy which should slow down the pace of population ageing, this paper argues that the threshold of 'old age' (65+) should be redefined.Additionally, the analysis considers changes in labour force participatio…
Public-Private Partnerships in Home- and Community-Based Services for Older People in China
This study examines public-private partnerships (PPPs) in home- and community-based services (HCBS) for older adults in Guangzhou, China, amid growing efforts to increase non-state actor participation and market mechanisms in welfare provision. Based on semi-structured interviews with non-state actors, this research examines both contractual and relational dimensions of PPPs and why achieving their full potential remains challenging. Findings rev…
Only Children and Low Family Size Ideals
The factors that shape fertility preferences—and their transition to reality—have been widely discussed. However, very few empirical studies have estimated the causal effect of sibship size on fertility preferences. Using the case of urban China, this study examines if growing up as an only child can lead to lower fertility ideals. Exploiting the introduction of the one-child policy in 1980 and using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, the s…
Capitalizing on Population Dynamics 30 Years on from the International Conference on Population and Development
The world is grappling with a huge array of demographic challenges—ranging from rapid population growth in sub‐Saharan Africa to rapid aging and decline elsewhere—with profound implications for social systems, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. We examine the complex interplay of demographic diversity and other global megatrends, emphasizing the urgent need for policies that prioritize human rights and sustainable development. …
The Demographic Race between India and China
As India surpasses China as the world’s most populous country, questions arise as to whether this demographic shift will lead India to overtake China economically. This paper examines this demographic race beyond population size. Using multi-dimensional demographic projections by age, sex, education, and labor force participation, we show that China’s current apparent demographic travails will not necessarily threaten its leading status relative …
Family Policies in Low Fertility Countries
Family policies, defined as measures designed to support families with children, are part of modern welfare states. They range from punctual measures provided at the birth of a child to measures aimed at making it easier for parents to combine work and family responsibilities. The actual goal of these measures varies largely, being explicitly pronatalist in some cases while embracing a more equalitarian principle in others. Despite the variations…
Vieillissement de la population et dépendance économique en Thaïlande
Influence of Knowledge and Attitudes on Youth Smoking in Rural Areas of the Mymensigh Districts of Bangladesh
The development of a country is strongly influenced by a higher smoking rate among the young population. Understanding knowledge and attitudes regarding smoking among young people lies at the heart of effective tobacco control policies. Bangladesh is a large, low-income country in South Asia with a high rate of youth smoking. As yet, however, little attention has been paid to knowledge and attitudes among rural youth. Face-to-face interviews were…
DustinWhitneyDemographic Deception
When I picked up Demographic Deception by Dustin Whitney, I had a sense of unease. The title led me to expect a book in the "popular demography" genre; a genre to which unfortunately few trained demographers contribute and which has frequently been a platform for authors proffering "simple" demographic solutions to global ills, with sometimes far-reaching appeal and dangerous consequences. However, it would be a mistake to judge this book by its …
How genuine are sub-replacement ideal family sizes in urban China
Ideal family sizes remain at or above two in most low-fertility settings, but sub-replacement fertility ideals have been reported for urban China. The presence of restrictive family planning policies has led to a debate as to whether such ideals are genuine. This study exploits the ending of the one-child policy and the beginning of a universal two-child policy in October 2015 to investigate whether relaxing the restrictions led to an increase in…
The extent of use of surveys in policymaking
The study findings reaffirm previous research on the limited utilisation of survey evidence in policymaking in Hong Kong, an Asian context with a unicameral legislation and colonial history. The importance of survey evidence was highlighted in policy areas that directly impact the public, such as healthcare. The findings also highlight the important role of politics in investigating the use of surveys as research evidence for policymaking
From protests into pandemic
Compared to other settings, COVID-19 infection and death rates in Hong Kong were very low until 2022, due to top-down interventions (e.g. quarantines, ‘mask mandates’) and community activation. However, in addition to these epidemiological circumstances, Hong Kong has also undergone significant social and political change stemming from the social movement beginning in 2019 through the enacting, and aftermath, of the National Security Law. We draw…
Does Same-Sex Marriage Legalization Make Gay Men Want to Have Children? Findings from a Panel Study in Taiwan
Self-Definition and Evaluation of the Term "Childfree" Among Hong Kong Women
The term "childless" is highly problematic. Attempts to split it into "voluntary" and "involuntary" may appear to give more detail on context, but the differentiation can be misleading. The condition of "-less" has negative connotations and implies "missing" something; possibly something which is "natural." The term "childfree" has been employed as an alternative expression which denotes active choice, freedom, and emancipation. Few studies, howe…
Covid-19 as a trigger for innovation in policy action for older persons? Evidence from Asia
COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on older people, in terms of their susceptibility to the disease and increased fatality rates, while also by creating barriers to health care access, social isolation, psychological and financial burdens. Policy responses provide an opportunity to understand whether the demands of this crisis have led to the development of policy innovations to meet the needs of aging populations. We analyzed an illustra…
(Un)married with children? Exploring marriage between parities in Hong Kong
Births outside of marriage are comparatively rare in East Asia, but numbers appear to be rising. Such fertility tends to be concentrated among lower educational and socioeconomic groups which can entrench pre-existing inequalities in systems where such ‘non-traditional' family forms are penalised. Most research in this area, however, has focused on the relationship between marriage and first birth. Using a large microdataset from Hong Kong, we ex…
Targeting and Mistargeting of Family Policies in High-Income Pacific Asian Societies
Exploring the ‘True Value’ of Replacement Rate Fertility
Quantifying the Impact of Medicalisation on the Distribution of Births over the Course of the Day
Very few historical studies have been able to demonstrate the times of day when humans give birth in a ‘natural’ setting—i.e. outside of any hospital context or potential intervention. Two villages in the southwestern Russian Empire present rare examples of nineteenth-century baptism registers where time of birth were recorded. The evidence supports the thesis that ‘natural’ human births disproportionately occur between midnight and early morning…
International remittance flows and the economic and social consequences of Covid-19
One of the possible consequences of the tightening of international borders during and after pandemic COVID-19 is what the World Economic Forum refers to as the 'throttling' of international (labour) migration. While this will have a profound macroeconomic impact on the global economy, the potential impact on remittances on families, communities and national economies could be equally marked. We present a chord diagram to visualize the latest int…
The "Population Problem" in Pacific Asia
Reviewer: Gavin W. Jones, Australian National University Throughout East Asia, as well as in Singapore and Thailand, fertility rates have reached very low levels, and this has led to declining youth populations (throughout the region), followed by declining working-age populations (almost everywhere in the region), and declining total populations (already in Japan, soon to be followed by South Korea and Taiwan). The prospective population ageing …
Ageing in Russia
Jana Vobecká, Demographic Avant-Garde
Fertility and Family Policies in Central and Eastern Europe after 1990
This paper examines fertility and family policies in 15 Central and East European (CEE) countries to establish firstly, likely directions of cohort fertility trends for the coming decade; and secondly, to provide an overview and analysis of family policies in CEE countries, and to assess their impact on cohort fertility trends. Demographic analysis suggests that the cohort fertility decline of the 1960s cohorts is likely to continue at least amon…
Gender equality and fertility intentions revisited
Stimulated by the recent debate on gender roles and menâ s fertility behaviour (Puur et al. 2008; Westoff and Higgins 2009; Goldscheider, Oláh and Puur 2010), we present evidence from Finland as a country well into the second phase of the so-called gend
Why Brexit? The Toxic Mix of Immigration and Austerity
On June 23, 2016, the UK narrowly voted to exit the European Union. Population issues-especially relating to the effect of population growth on infrastructure and public services and the need to " take back control" over immigration-played a central role in the campaigns (" Leave" and " Remain") leading up to the vote. I argue that the Leave campaign engaged in reckless scaremongering over the demographic effects of membership in the EU, while th…
Certainty of meeting fertility intentions declines in Europe during the 'Great Recession
Relatively little research has been conducted on how economic recessions impact fertility intentions. In particular, uncertainty in reproductive intentions has not been examined in relation to economic shocks
China's Family Planning Policies
In November 2013, China announced reforms to its family planning policies whereby couples would be allowed to have a second child if either parent is an only child. The announcement garnered worldwide media coverage, and stimulated academic and popular discussion. We explore the context of the 2013 reforms, including the economic, demographic, and political motivations behind them, and speculate on their likely effect. Noting that the impact of t…
Fertility in China
As one of the world's two population 'billionaires', the future of China's population is truly of global significance. With its very low fertility and a rapidly ageing population, it might appear that the country's famous (or notorious) family planning restrictions are somewhat anachronistic. Here, we explore the process of reform seen over the past three decades and, most recently, in late 2013. We suggest that the popular notion that the family…
The well-being of bereaved parents in an only-child society
There are currently around a million Chinese households where the only child has died and the mother is beyond reproductive age. The number of such bereaved parents, known as shidu fumu, is forecast to increase to over 11 million by 2050. Using a sample survey conducted in 2013 in Shaanxi Province, the article explores the vulnerability of shidu fumu by various measures of well-being. Such parents are more vulnerable than nonbereaved parents in e…
Maternity migration' and the increased sex ratio at birth in Hong Kong SAR
The sex ratio at birth (SRB) in Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) has recently increased dramatically. Using a data set (N = 850,331) of all recorded births in Hong Kong between 1995 and 2009, we calculated SRBs by parity and immigrant status. The findings indicate a strong son preference among Mainland Chinese who have travelled to Hong Kong to give birth, especially at parity two or above. Logistic regression models show that this t…
Family Policies in Low Fertility Countries
Family policies, defined as measures designed to support families with children, are part of modern welfare states. They range from punctual measures provided at the birth of a child to measures aimed at making it easier for parents to combine work and family responsibilities. The actual goal of these measures varies largely, being explicitly pronatalist in some cases while embracing a more equalitarian principle in others. Despite the variations…
Is Demography Just a Numerical Exercise? Numbers, Politics, and Legacies of China’s One-Child Policy
Population Association
Remeasuring ageing in Hong Kong SAR; or ‘keeping the demographic window open’
Spatial Variation of Sub-national Fertility Trends in Austria, Germany and Switzerland
Sub-national trends in fertility are of great importance for policy makers and regional planners. This paper aims to provide a theoretical and empirical framework for policy makers, taking into account past and present trends in fertility, as well as their theoretical underpinnings. These will, we argue, be crucial in determining future trajectories and potential political responses to them.The theoretical part of the paper deals with the factors…
Comparing Projection Assumptions of Fertility in Six Advanced Asian Economies; or ‘Thinking Beyond the Medium Variant’
The United Nations' (UN) World Population Prospects are perhaps the most widely used population projections in both academic and policy discourses. In this short research note, we examine six advanced Asian economies, and compare the fertility assumptions used by the UN with those derived from local statistical offices (LSOs). We identify a significant divergence between them. When translated into total projected population size of younger age gr…
How genuine are sub-replacement ideal family sizes in urban China
Ideal family sizes remain at or above two in most low-fertility settings, but sub-replacement fertility ideals have been reported for urban China. The presence of restrictive family planning policies has led to a debate as to whether such ideals are genuine. This study exploits the ending of the one-child policy and the beginning of a universal two-child policy in October 2015 to investigate whether relaxing the restrictions led to an increase in…
From protests into pandemic
Compared to other settings, COVID-19 infection and death rates in Hong Kong were very low until 2022, due to top-down interventions (e.g. quarantines, ‘mask mandates’) and community activation. However, in addition to these epidemiological circumstances, Hong Kong has also undergone significant social and political change stemming from the social movement beginning in 2019 through the enacting, and aftermath, of the National Security Law. We draw…
Exploring the ‘True Value’ of Replacement Rate Fertility
Modelling the constraints on consanguineous marriage when fertility declines
Consanguinity - or marriage between close blood relatives, in particular first cousins - is widely practised and even socially encouraged in many countries. However, in the face of fertility transition where the number of cousins eligible to marry declines
Very long range global population scenarios to 2300 and the implications of sustained low fertility
Depending on whether the global level of fertility is assumed to converge to the current European TFR (~1.5) or that of Southeast Asia or Central America (~2.5), global population will either decline to 2.3-2.9 billion by 2200 or increase to 33-37 billion
The Religious Composition of the Chinese Diaspora, Focusing on Canada
The religious composition of the Chinese Diaspora varies by countries with the highest Christian share in the Philippines (86 percent) and the highest Buddhist share (84.3 percent) in Cambodia. The religiously unaffiliated are more likely found in Vietnam (74.7 percent), Canada (70.1 percent), and Austria (63 percent) and less likely found in the Philippines (0.6 percent) and Malaysia (1.5 percent). A further analysis of high-quality Canadian cen…
I couldn't hold the whole thing’
Taiwan has one of the lowest fertility rates in Asia. High direct and indirect costs of childbearing have been identified as key drivers behind this at the macro-level, but little is known about the mechanism of these influences at the individual-level. In 32 qualitative interviews with parents in Taipei, we sought to explore the salient factors for couples in their decisions about having further children. We identified a tension between gendered…
Remeasuring Ageing in Southeast Asia
It is a commonly held view that Southeast Asian societies are ageing rapidly. This has led to a high evel of policy concern about the future capacity of states to cope with increased levels of 'old-age dependency' which, at first glance, often appear almost unmanageable. We suggest that the rates employed to demonstrate the present/future scale of 'old-age dependency' are msleading and based upon a Eurocentric notion from a bygone era. Arguing th…
Population-The long view
This special issue of Population Studies is the outcome of invitations to a number of scholars in demographic and related sciences to contribute to an exploration of large-scale, long-term, interdi
The Death of the West
Much has been written about the 'Death of the West', a demise threatened by the low level of reproduction in Western countries. That fate is contrasted unfavourably with the rapid growth of the populations and economies of less developed countries, and the prospect of the numerical and political marginalization of the formerly dominant developed world. We believe that trends in European fertility have been misunderstood and that, with effort and …
The Persistence of Parent Repayment” and the Anticipation of Filial Obligations of Care in Two Thai Provinces
With an accelerated and sustained decline in fertility and an increase in life expectancy, T hailand has entered its aging phase at a rapid pace. This raises an important question of who should care for the increasing elderly population. Using a survey of adults aged 16–64 years ( n = 742) in two provinces in the north‐east ( K alasin) and south ( P hang N ga) of T hailand, this paper explores the expectations that individuals have from their chi…
Vieillissement de la population et dépendance économique en Thaïlande
Gender equality and fertility intentions revisited
Stimulated by the recent debate on gender roles and menâ s fertility behaviour (Puur et al. 2008; Westoff and Higgins 2009; Goldscheider, Oláh and Puur 2010), we present evidence from Finland as a country well into the second phase of the so-called gend
Spatial Variation of Sub-national Fertility Trends in Austria, Germany and Switzerland
Sub-national trends in fertility are of great importance for policy makers and regional planners. This paper aims to provide a theoretical and empirical framework for policy makers, taking into account past and present trends in fertility, as well as their theoretical underpinnings. These will, we argue, be crucial in determining future trajectories and potential political responses to them.The theoretical part of the paper deals with the factors…
The Religious Composition of the Chinese Diaspora, Focusing on Canada
The religious composition of the Chinese Diaspora varies by countries with the highest Christian share in the Philippines (86 percent) and the highest Buddhist share (84.3 percent) in Cambodia. The religiously unaffiliated are more likely found in Vietnam (74.7 percent), Canada (70.1 percent), and Austria (63 percent) and less likely found in the Philippines (0.6 percent) and Malaysia (1.5 percent). A further analysis of high-quality Canadian cen…
Redefining “Old Age” and “Dependency” in East Asia
East Asian societies are currently some of the most rapidly aging in the world. Projections of the traditional old‐age dependency ratios ( OADR ) present a daunting future of the size of the aged population both in absolute terms and, in the context of low fertility, relative to the future workforce. Recently scholars, especially Sanderson and Scherbov, have argued that OADR is inadequate as a guide to future levels of dependency based, as it is,…
Comparing Projection Assumptions of Fertility in Six Advanced Asian Economies; or ‘Thinking Beyond the Medium Variant’
The United Nations' (UN) World Population Prospects are perhaps the most widely used population projections in both academic and policy discourses. In this short research note, we examine six advanced Asian economies, and compare the fertility assumptions used by the UN with those derived from local statistical offices (LSOs). We identify a significant divergence between them. When translated into total projected population size of younger age gr…
Remeasuring ageing in Hong Kong SAR; or ‘keeping the demographic window open’
Maternity migration' and the increased sex ratio at birth in Hong Kong SAR
The sex ratio at birth (SRB) in Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) has recently increased dramatically. Using a data set (N = 850,331) of all recorded births in Hong Kong between 1995 and 2009, we calculated SRBs by parity and immigrant status. The findings indicate a strong son preference among Mainland Chinese who have travelled to Hong Kong to give birth, especially at parity two or above. Logistic regression models show that this t…
Very long range global population scenarios to 2300 and the implications of sustained low fertility
Depending on whether the global level of fertility is assumed to converge to the current European TFR (~1.5) or that of Southeast Asia or Central America (~2.5), global population will either decline to 2.3-2.9 billion by 2200 or increase to 33-37 billion
Very Low, Low and Heavy Weight Births in Hong Kong Sar
Identification of modifiable factors and mediators linked to low and heavy birth weight is crucial in reducing infant mortality and health care expenditure. The present paper explores the associations of socio-demographic factors and immigrant status of parents with adverse pregnancy outcomes in Hong Kong. The analysis compares very low birth weight (VLBW
The Persistence of Parent Repayment” and the Anticipation of Filial Obligations of Care in Two Thai Provinces
With an accelerated and sustained decline in fertility and an increase in life expectancy, T hailand has entered its aging phase at a rapid pace. This raises an important question of who should care for the increasing elderly population. Using a survey of adults aged 16–64 years ( n = 742) in two provinces in the north‐east ( K alasin) and south ( P hang N ga) of T hailand, this paper explores the expectations that individuals have from their chi…
Modelling the macroeconomic impact of future trajectories of educational development in Least Developed Countries
China's Family Planning Policies
In November 2013, China announced reforms to its family planning policies whereby couples would be allowed to have a second child if either parent is an only child. The announcement garnered worldwide media coverage, and stimulated academic and popular discussion. We explore the context of the 2013 reforms, including the economic, demographic, and political motivations behind them, and speculate on their likely effect. Noting that the impact of t…
Certainty of meeting fertility intentions declines in Europe during the 'Great Recession
Relatively little research has been conducted on how economic recessions impact fertility intentions. In particular, uncertainty in reproductive intentions has not been examined in relation to economic shocks
Modelling the constraints on consanguineous marriage when fertility declines
Consanguinity - or marriage between close blood relatives, in particular first cousins - is widely practised and even socially encouraged in many countries. However, in the face of fertility transition where the number of cousins eligible to marry declines
Remeasuring Ageing in Southeast Asia
It is a commonly held view that Southeast Asian societies are ageing rapidly. This has led to a high evel of policy concern about the future capacity of states to cope with increased levels of 'old-age dependency' which, at first glance, often appear almost unmanageable. We suggest that the rates employed to demonstrate the present/future scale of 'old-age dependency' are msleading and based upon a Eurocentric notion from a bygone era. Arguing th…
The well-being of bereaved parents in an only-child society
There are currently around a million Chinese households where the only child has died and the mother is beyond reproductive age. The number of such bereaved parents, known as shidu fumu, is forecast to increase to over 11 million by 2050. Using a sample survey conducted in 2013 in Shaanxi Province, the article explores the vulnerability of shidu fumu by various measures of well-being. Such parents are more vulnerable than nonbereaved parents in e…
Population-The long view
This special issue of Population Studies is the outcome of invitations to a number of scholars in demographic and related sciences to contribute to an exploration of large-scale, long-term, interdi
The Family and Social Change in Chinese Societies
The casual reader picking the book up in a library or being persuaded to buy it by the title alone might think that this is a book about (the People's Republic of) China. (That is, if demographers
The Death of the West
Much has been written about the 'Death of the West', a demise threatened by the low level of reproduction in Western countries. That fate is contrasted unfavourably with the rapid growth of the populations and economies of less developed countries, and the prospect of the numerical and political marginalization of the formerly dominant developed world. We believe that trends in European fertility have been misunderstood and that, with effort and …
Fertility in China
As one of the world's two population 'billionaires', the future of China's population is truly of global significance. With its very low fertility and a rapidly ageing population, it might appear that the country's famous (or notorious) family planning restrictions are somewhat anachronistic. Here, we explore the process of reform seen over the past three decades and, most recently, in late 2013. We suggest that the popular notion that the family…
Theory, demography and forecasting
Dudley Kirk (1996) famously remarked that ‘Demography is a science short on theory’ (p.361). Indeed, if we assume, as a natural scientist would, that one of the key components of a ‘theory’ is that
Fertility and Family Policies in Central and Eastern Europe after 1990
This paper examines fertility and family policies in 15 Central and East European (CEE) countries to establish firstly, likely directions of cohort fertility trends for the coming decade; and secondly, to provide an overview and analysis of family policies in CEE countries, and to assess their impact on cohort fertility trends. Demographic analysis suggests that the cohort fertility decline of the 1960s cohorts is likely to continue at least amon…
Why Brexit? The Toxic Mix of Immigration and Austerity
On June 23, 2016, the UK narrowly voted to exit the European Union. Population issues-especially relating to the effect of population growth on infrastructure and public services and the need to " take back control" over immigration-played a central role in the campaigns (" Leave" and " Remain") leading up to the vote. I argue that the Leave campaign engaged in reckless scaremongering over the demographic effects of membership in the EU, while th…
Family Demography in Asia
I couldn't hold the whole thing’
Taiwan has one of the lowest fertility rates in Asia. High direct and indirect costs of childbearing have been identified as key drivers behind this at the macro-level, but little is known about the mechanism of these influences at the individual-level. In 32 qualitative interviews with parents in Taipei, we sought to explore the salient factors for couples in their decisions about having further children. We identified a tension between gendered…
Sociology (38 works) · Demography (34 works) · Economics (30 works) · Population (29 works) · Political science (27 works) · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences (25 works) · Geography (23 works) · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving (21 works) · Demography (20 works) · Family Dynamics and Relationships (19 works)