Peter McDonald reçoit le Prix Irene Taeuber 

Lors de la Réunion annuelle de la Population Association of America (PAA) à San Diego, le 30 avril 2015, Peter McDonald, Président de l'UIESP de 2010 à 2013, a reçu le Prix 2015 Irene B. Taeuber. Il a partagé cet honneur avec Sara McLanahan, également Lauréate du Prix 2015. Ce prix est décerné tous les deux ans par la PAA et l’Office of Population Research de l'Université de Princeton soit pour une contribution particulièrement originale ou importante à l'étude scientifique de la population, soit en reconnaissance de toute une carrière de recherche féconde et innovatrice.

Motifs spécifiques pour lesquels le prix lui a été décerné (citation partielle, en anglais) : 

“Peter McDonald’s work is notable for its application of empirical approaches to significant policy issues. The work is often multidisciplinary, applying theoretical perspectives from sociology, economics, history, psychology and anthropology. However, he is most well-known for the development of new theory relating to population issues and for the design of original data collections that address theory and policy.” 

His major contributions to demographic research have assisted the development of the discipline of population studies and demography not only in Australia but also in Asia. This research includes diverse demographic outcomes including nuptiality, fertility, household structure, child survival, labour force, and demographic estimation. 

His most well-known impact has been in the development of gender equity theory applied to fertility; his theory of the link between gender equity and fertility in advanced societies has had a major influence on research in demography and in sociology, through to economics. 

“Women have achieved high levels of gender-equity in individually-oriented institutions such as education and employment, but equity in family-related institutions such as the family itself and the conditions of work lags behind,” he said. 

“Where the level of incoherence between equity in individual and family institutions is high, some women opt to have no children or only one child, placing the societal level of fertility at a precariously low level. 

“The policy implication is that societies must hasten the speed of change in gender equity in family-oriented institutions, especially through policy measures that support the capacity to combine work with parenting.” 

Le Prix porte le nom d’Irene Taeuber, ancienne présidente de la PAA, longtemps associée à l’Office of Population Research de l'Université de Princeton. Elle est connue principalement pour ses travaux internationaux sur la population, et en particulier ses recherches démographiques sur l'Asie orientale et l'Asie du Sud-Est. Elle fut vice-présidente de l'UIESP de 1961 à 1964.

Une liste des lauréat-e-s du Prix Irene B. Taeuber est disponible sur le site de la PAA.