Dr. Barbara Barba

Biography

Barbara A. Anderson is the Ronald Freedman Collegiate Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan, specializing in Population Studies. She holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University awarded in 1974. Her work focuses on the intersections of social economic change, demographic trends, and their impacts within societies, particularly in the context of the Russian Empire, Soviet Union, China, and South Africa. Recent projects have concentrated on South Africa, examining the challenges faced by rural Africans and drawing on high-quality data. Her research includes investigating infant survival, adult mortality patterns, orphanhood trends, and the perceptions surrounding environmental issues that affect livelihoods among the emerging African middle class.

Research Interests