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Myron P. GutmannGeorge Alter

Associate Director of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR);
Professor of History, University of Michigan
Research Professor, Population Studies Center

Brief Biography

George Alter's research grows out of interests in the history of the family, demography, and economic history. He is particularly interested in methods for reconstructing and analyzing life histories from longitudinal data. Dr. Alter has recently participated in two cross-national comparative projects. The "Eurasia Project" examines demographic responses to economic stress in five societies in Europe and East Asia. The "Early Life Conditions" project asks whether experiences in childhood have long-run effects on health in old age.

Recent Publications

Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Alter, George, and Michel Oris, "Childhood Conditions, Migration, and Mortality: Migrants and Natives in Nineteenth-century Cities," Social Biology, 52/3-4 (2005): 178-191.

Alter, George, and Myron P. Gutmann, "Belgian Historical Demography as Viewed from North America: Protoindustrialization, Fertility Decline, and the Use of Population Registers," Belgisch tijdschrift voor nieuwste geschiedenis - Revue belge d'histoire contemporaire, XXXV, 4 (2005): 523-546.

Alter, George, Muriel Neven, and Michel Oris, "Height, Wealth, and Longevity in 19th century East Belgium," Annales de Démographie Historique, 2004, no. 2: 19-37.

Alter, George, "Height, Frailty, and the Standard of Living: Modeling the Effects of Diet and Disease on Declining Mortality and Increasing Height," Population Studies 58/3 (2004): 265-279.

Alter, George, Muriel Neven, and Michel Oris, "Stature in Transition: A Micro-level Study from Nineteenth-century Belgium," Social Science History, 2004, 28(2): 231-247.

Alter, George, "Le modèle européen de marriage dans une perspective non européene," in Paul Servais and George Alter, eds. Le Mariage dans l'Est de la Wallonie, Louvain-la-Neuve: Academia-Bruylant, 2005: 47-67.

Oris, Michel, and George Alter, "Venir mourir en ville? Mortalité et migration dans l'est de la Belgique durant la Révolution industrielle," Le Peuple des Villes dans l'Europe du Nord-Ouest edited by Philippe Guignet, Lille: Centre de Recherche sur l'Histoire de l'Europe Nord-Ouest, Université Charles-de-Gaulle - Lille 3, 2003, vol. 2: 383-402.

Alter, George, Matteo Manfredini, and Paul Nystedt, "Gender Differences in Mortality," Chapter 11 in Life Under Pressure: Mortality and Living Standards in Europe and Asia, 1700-1900 edited by Tommy Bengtsson, Cameron Campbell, and James Lee, MIT University Press, 2004: 173-208.

Alter, George, Muriel Neven, and Michel Oris, "Mortality and Modernization in Sart and Surroundings, 1812-1900," Chapter 7 in Life Under Pressure: Mortality and Living Standards in Europe and Asia, 1700-1900 edited by Tommy Bengtsson, Cameron Campbell, and James Lee, MIT University Press, 2004.

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