Qualitative Methods: A Key to a Better Understanding of Demographic Behavior?

This section contains five commentaries that examine the potentials and limitations of qualitative methods for improving our understanding of population processes. Written from the perspective of different disciplinary positions namely anthropology sociology history and economics in addition to demography they illustrate different paths toward achieving this goal and show that while anthropology has been the interlocutor of choice for demographers seeking a deeper comprehension of population processes other disciplines have made important contributions to this endeavor. (EXCERPT) (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA)