Les mécanismes démographiques d’une mutation sociale : aperçu général du Saguenay, XIXe-Xxe siècles

Abstract

All societies are characterized by a complex and unique relationship between demographic reproduction and social structures. This article explores the relationship between the components of demographic growth and occupational structures in one Quebec region, the Saguenay, between 1838 and 1971. Using data derived from reconstituted families, we show that the contribution of different occupational categories to regional demographic growth varies considerably. The Saguenay emerges as a region where many factors combine leading to differences in demographic reproduction. That these variations within the region often contradict changes observed in occupational structures attests to other pressures towards social mobility.