To examine the hypothesis that phone-based discrimination exists, an undergraduate course was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. It was noted that racial housing audits were designed in such a way that teams of White and Black auditors were assigned similar identities and characteristics. To this effect, systematic differences in treatment were taken to reflect racial discrimination. The course, ¿Research Design: Measurement of Discrimination,¿ was carried out as a response to the pressure to involve undergraduates in research. A racially diverse group of students registered, among them speakers of Black English Vernacular, Black Accented English, and White Middle Class English. A total of 79 rental units advertised in newspapers and rental guides were audited by the class. Overall, results of the study suggest that telephone audits constitute a potentially cheap, easy, and efficient way of measuring and studying processes of racial discrimination in urban housing markets. Compared with Whites, African Americans were less likely to be told of a unit's availability, more likely to speak to a rental agent, to pay an application fee, and to have credit mentioned as an issue. In addition, these racial effects interacted with and were exacerbated by gender class.
According to a survey of 5865 ever-married women 15-49 years in Sri Lanka, the island nation has relatively good immunization coverage, increasing contraceptive use, and declining fertility. In the 1960s and 1970s, the total fertility rate dropped from over 6.0 to 3.4. A "marriage boom" in the late 1970s contributed to a temporary fertility increase to a 3.7 child average. The 1987 Contraceptive Prevalence Survey showed that Sri Lankan fertility resumed its decline in the 1980s, recording an average total fertility rate of 2.8 children between 1982-86. Contraceptive prevalence also increased. An estimated 62% of married women 15-49 were currently using contraception in 1987 compared to 55% in 1982 and only 32% in 1974. 21% of the married women used rhythm, withdrawal, or prolonged abstinence as their methods, but 30% were protected by sterilization. Relatively small percentages chose oral contraception, condoms, or the IUD and injection. The women were less likely to use methods which necessitated repeat clinic or pharmacy visits. This preference most likely reflects the type of family planning services available. Nearly 80% of the married women indicated they did not want any more children; 69% in this age group were contracepting. Nearly all Sri Lankan pregnant mothers received prenatal care, and 87% of births during the 1982-86 period were assisted by medically trained personnel.
According to a report by the German government, there is a real prospect that population growth will soon slow down and produce a much more steady state. Evidence indicates that growth rates of megacities--urban agglomerations of 10 million or more residents--have declined sharply. However, such a decline is misleading because these cities still have to absorb enormous population increments in the next 20 years. In view of this, UN estimates and projections of city size and growth suggest that there will be a growth of megacities, not a decline. Demographically, it is noted that megacities in less developed regions have been growing steadily in absolute terms, even as their rates of population growth have dropped in response to national fertility reductions and economic downturns that have deterred migration from rural areas. Such an unprecedented urban growth could lead to higher rates of mortality, social problems, and poverty, as well as environmental concerns. Overall, effective urban governance is needed to ensure the well-being of all residents; and the procedure of estimation and projection of megacity populations should be improved.
This article presents a profile of John D. Rockefeller 3rd, statesman and founder of the Population Council. It is noted that Rockefeller took a broad view of population control as a means to address poverty and economic development rather than as an end in itself. In 1952 he initiated the convocation of the Conference on Population Problems held in Williamsburg, Virginia. The discussion focused on food supply, industrial development, depletion of natural resources, and political instability resulting from unchecked population growth. In 1967, Rockefeller initiated, lobbied for, and finally achieved a World Leaders' Statement signed by 30 heads of state including US President Lyndon Johnson. The document drew attention to population growth as a world problem and engendered political support for family planning as a solution. After 3 years the Commission on Population Growth and the American Future was established, and Rockefeller was made its chairman. Several issues were debated, including more safer fertility control and the legalization of abortion.
Brief: Reducing housing discrimination Housing discrimination persists in American society despite efforts to eliminate it over the 50 years since the enactment of fair housing laws. Over time, discrimination has become more subtle, with housing owners and their representatives often treating prospective renters and buyers differentially rather than explicitly refusing to rent or sell on the basis of race or ethnicity. This brief presents guidance on how communities can take direct steps to address various forms of discrimination. Read the brief
