Title not available in English

Abstract

This paper directs itself to the interplay of population trends, population research and population policy in Brazil, within the framework of the structural transformations which this country has experienced in recent decades. To this purpose, a brief overview of population trends and population policy (lato sensu) is presented as backdrop for a reflection on the role of research in the formulation of such policy. Although good quality data have been available since 1940, it WaS only in the 1970's that the number of researchers and studies in the population area began to multiply. Despite this growing body of information, it is difficulty to pinpoint specific instances of the impact of research on population policy. It is suggested, however, that it would be erroneous to judge the success of social research in terms of its concrete application to policy formulation. Real advances in knowledge have contributed to a more balanced interpretation of demographic trends by the society without necessarily producing Decree-Laws nor even a homogeneization of view points among population analysts.