The Netherlands Interuniversity Demographic Institute (N.I.D.I.) and the Population and Family Study Centre (C.B.G.S.) evidence the growing importance attached to the field of social gerontology. The two institutions are designed to coordinate and to stimulate all kind of re search in the field of population and family. Long-run trends in demographic processes of mortality and fertility have had consequences for the kin network. The increasing nurober of aged peo le in the total population and the reduced number of descendants to whom an older person may turn for assistance is becoming a real problem in Western .society. The problem of the Elderly is too im portant in order to be neglected. Volume VIII of the N.I.D.I.-C.B.G.S. publications contains a number of articles concerning the family life in Old Age. The European Social Research Committee on Ageing held two colloquia on this topic. The papers presen ted at the Dubrovnik meeting, Yugoslavia 1976, and at the Ystad meeting, Sweden 1977, are published in this volume. The editors hope that this volume, the eighth in their yearly publication series, will serve to give more insight in the complex problem of the elderly in our society and hope that more cross cultural research will be undertaken."

The Netherlands Interuniversity Demographic Institute (N.I.D.I.) and the Population and Family Study Centre (C.B.G.S.) evidence the growing importance attached to the field of social gerontology. The two institutions are designed to coordinate and to stimulate all kind of re search in the field of population and family. Long-run trends in demographic processes of mortality and fertility have had consequences for the kin network. The increasing nurober of aged peo le in the total population and the reduced number of descendants to whom an older person may turn for assistance is becoming a real problem in Western .society. The problem of the Elderly is too im portant in order to be neglected. Volume VIII of the N.I.D.I.-C.B.G.S. publications contains a number of articles concerning the family life in Old Age. The European Social Research Committee on Ageing held two colloquia on this topic. The papers presen ted at the Dubrovnik meeting, Yugoslavia 1976, and at the Ystad meeting, Sweden 1977, are published in this volume. The editors hope that this volume, the eighth in their yearly publication series, will serve to give more insight in the complex problem of the elderly in our society and hope that more cross cultural research will be undertaken."

Since 1972 there has been a close contact through their publications between the Netherlands Interuniversity Demographic Institute at The Hague and the Population and Family Study Centre at Brussels. This co-operation has resulted in the joint publication of the journal Bevolking en Gezin (Population and Family) in the Dutch language. However, there has been a need for wider circulation of the Dutch language studies and research in the field of population and the family. In particular it was thought necessary to make possible an exchange of ideas and findings with popUlation and family scientists abroad. The volume Population and Family in the Low Countries intends to facilitate this international discussion by at least partially lifting the language barrier curtain. Some of the articles and documents included were originally published in the Dutch language, others were written especially for this volume. Population and family covers a very wide field and so do the chapters presented. In addition to demographic studies, articles are presented on population and family sociology and social biology. The editors hope that this second volume of Population and Family in the Low Countries reader, the sixth in their yearly publication series, will serve its purpose. The editors v Contents PREFACE V CONTRIBUTORS IX 1. J. GODEFROY A graphic representation of the process of population renewal - a demographic teaching aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Since 1972 there has been a close contact through their pUblications between the Netherlands Interuniversity Demographic Institute at The Hague and the Population and Family Study Centre at Brussels. This co-operation has resulted in the joint pUblication of the journal BevoLking en Gezin (Population and Family) in the Dutch language. However, there has been a need for wider circulation of the Dutch language studies and research in the field of population and the family. In particular it was thought necessary to make possible an exchange of ideas and findings with population and family scientists abroad. The volume 'Population and family in the Low Countries' intends to facilitate this international discussion by at least partially lifting the language barrier curtain. Some of the articles and documents included were originally published in the Dutch language, others were written especially for this volume. Population and family covers a very wide field and so do the chapters presented. In addition to demographic studies, articles are presented on population and family sociology and social biology. The editors hope that this reader, the first in their yearly publication series, will serve its purpose.