Announcing PopDev’s New Policy Analysts
August 2018
The Population and Development Program (PopDev) is pleased to welcome four new policy analysts, including prominent feminist scholars and activists who address key issues of population, environment and reproductive health and justice in their work:
- Rajani Bhatia, Assistant Professor, Department of Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, SUNY at Albany
- Ellen F. Foley, Associate Professor, International Development and Social Change, Clark University
- Jade S. Sasser, Assistant Professor, Department of Gender & Sexuality Studies, University of California, Riverside
- Susanne Schultz, Institute of Sociology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
In this troubling political time, population growth is increasingly blamed for climate change, instability and violence, mass migration, species extinction, land degradation and scarcity. Too often, the abuses of population control and the damaging hyperbole of the “population bomb” are forgotten, downplayed or rationalized as necessary in the rush to address current crises. At the same time, population alarmism contributes to rising nationalisms and white supremacy movements, anti-immigrant biases, and the return of targets in powerful international family planning programs. These can overtly, and sometimes unintentionally, stoke unacceptable racialized and gendered stereotypes of the “too fertile” and “too many.”
PopDev is dedicated to recognizing and supporting those who challenge these dangerous framings of population and who uphold reproductive and environmental justice. PopDev recognizes solidarity work and collaboration as vital to effectively understanding and challenging population alarmism. In this vein, PopDev is deeply grateful for the contributions of this new group of policy analysts to the field and to the program.
At the same time, PopDev recognizes Betsy Hartmann’s incomparable contributions to the program. Betsy, who is Professor Emerita of Development Studies at Hampshire College and the previous PopDev Director (1987 – 2014), is stepping down as PopDev’s Senior Policy Analyst this month. She has served in this role since September 2014, offering her insightful political commentary. Betsy will continue to advise PopDev on an informal basis. PopDev is grateful for her generosity, wisdom and support.
