Serbian demographers on demography
Authors: Rasevic Mirjana 
Published: February 2014

Introduction: The objective of this paper is to collect the opinions of the
leading demographers in Serbia on four significant matters. The matters are:
development, state and future of demography, the successfulness of
researchers in this scientific discipline, improvement of the Stanovnistvo
journal, as well as the population priority of our society and range of
population policies. Method: A qualitative interview was chosen as the
instrument for data collection. Namely, a structured interview, based on nine
questions was sent by e-mail to eleven addresses of relevant demographers in
the second half of October 2013. The basic reason for sending questions by
e-mail was the aspiration to obtain authentic replies which require time for
contemplation. Ten completed questionnaires were returned within two weeks.
On the one hand, an integral picture on the chosen themes for research was
attempted to be obtained in the analysis of received opinions to certain
groups of questions and on the other hand to portray the spectrum of
different observations. The responses of our prominent demographers were
analyzed and compared to clearly pronounced standpoints of eminent
demographers published in world journals on similar themes and with findings
of internet researches among members of the International Union for the
Scientific Study of Population. Results: The results show that there is a
high level of consent among demographers in Serbia regarding the well
positioning of demography in relation to other social studies and its good
perspectives. The interviewed experts see the future of demography in its
integration with a wide circle of sciences, the application of demography
and/or greater engagement of researchers in carrying out public policies.
However, the estimations of the interviewed demographers as regards the
development and state of demography in Serbia are divided. Although a large
number of topics had been listed, migrations and population ageing were
singled out the most as significant for examining in the immediate future.
The inclusion of Stanovnistvo on the Science Citation Information Journal
List and expanding the circle of authors were the basic recommendations of
the respondents regarding better quality of the journal. All interviewed
experts mentioned various kinds of knowledge and characteristics necessary
for demographers to posses in order to be successful. Contrary to the
homogeneous opinion that a demographer should be a superior-researcher, a
wide range of responses were given to the question regarding selecting the
best indicator for determining the successfulness of researchers in the study
of population. As many as eight out of ten interviewed experts believe
population ageing is the greatest population challenge which Serbia is
facing. However, a low level of consensus appeared among the demographers as
regards the range of the political response. Namely, five experts declared
they were pessimists in view of the possibilities for mitigating the
challenge they singled out. On the contrary, five interviewed experts
expressed optimism, as they believe in the economic development of Serbia,
the possibilities of institutional adjustments to demographic changes, and/or
in man and his rationality. Conclusion: Demographers in Serbia highly
appreciate the discipline they belong to. At the same time they are strict
critics and have high expectations in all matters dealing with demography.