Winter 2027 Call for Submissions
Bodies Politic: People, Power, and the Coming Demographic Transformation
There is much discussion of the exceptional nature of the current moment in international politics: wars with implications far beyond the states in which they are fought, the rupturing of free trade norms, and declining faith in leaders and institutions around the world. These challenges intersect and compound each other in what some have dubbed a “polycrisis.”
Yet beneath the headlines, there is a slower but no less impactful change underway: a demographic transformation that is quietly upending the social, political, and economic fabric of nearly every country on earth. The coming transformation manifests universally, but in divergent ways: whereas aging societies are strained by shrinking workforces and lethargic growth, elsewhere, the youth dividend presents opportunity only if economies can generate sufficient, productive employment.
But demographic change is about more than growth rates and aging. It is equally a story of changing migration patterns, urbanization, ethnic and cultural diversity, gender dynamics, and income. These issues emerge in parallel across nations, with spillovers beyond national borders carrying deep ramifications for the international system: testing the strength of multilateral organizations, shifting the centers of economic power, and altering how people and nations see their role in the international community.
How can we understand today’s moment of polycrisis through the lens of demographic transformation? For the Winter 2027 edition of The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, we ask authors to draw on their expertise across a host of disciplines—finance, climate, security, and much more—to answer this question. We encourage them to use these lenses to inform an explicit turn to the human element: how is the changing makeup of populations bringing issues to the fore that transform how we relate to work, the state, and most importantly, each other? As societies change—growing more diverse, polarized, elderly, or youthful—how do they deliver security and economic opportunity for their populations? What does it mean when they fail to do so?
Answering these questions requires a whole-of-society approach to brace for transformations that begin domestically, but reverberate on the global stage. For many, that transformation is already here. How do we move forward?
The Fletcher Forum is especially interested in submissions that address the international and cross-border implications of these demographic changes, as well as the domestic impacts. We encourage authors to draw on their own background in answering these questions, regardless of whether they specialize in demography. Scholars, experts, and practitioners are welcome to submit papers in the following formats for consideration for the Winter 2027 Print Issue:
Feature Length: In-depth analytical essays offering concise, rigorous research and critical analysis (2,500 to 4,500 words).
Book Reviews: Informed critiques of recently released books (no more than 1,800 words). These need not necessarily be connected to this year’s theme.
We request that authors provide a brief biography and abstract to accompany their article. Citations should be formatted as footnotes in accordance with The Chicago Manual of Style.
Please submit your essay via this Google Form or send by email to forum@tufts.edu by September 25, 2026.