Demographic Methods I

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Discuss the demographic significance of age structures and the implications of variations in age structure.
• Specify and calculate the principal demographic measures, and standardise these measures for comparison and interpretation.
• Identify principal sources of demographic data and assess their strengths and weaknesses.
• Define and interpret key concepts used in demographic methods.
• Describe the rationale for the use of demographic models and to be able to use such models for practical purposes.
• Identify the components of population change, including the effects of changing birth, death and migration rates, and demonstrate their influences on age structures.
• Construct and interpret single-decrement life tables.

Sources of demographic data, population size and growth, age-sex structures, principles of demographic measurement, key demographic rates and measures, direct and indirect standardisation,

life tables, current methods for making population estimates, period and cohort perspectives.

Teaching and learning methods

The course is offered over 5 working days and attendance is required for all sessions. There are worked examples throughout as well as take-home exercises, which can be used for revision at the end of the course.

Key materials including textbooks and papers are all provided electronically so that all can be accessed remotely after the end of the course.

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Andrew Hinde (1998). Demographic Methods.

S Preston, S.H., Heuveline, P. and Guillot, M. (2001). Demography: Measuring and Modelling Population Processes. Oxford.

Wachter, KW (2014). Essential demographic methods. Cambridge MA: Harvard.

Rowland, D. (2003). Demographic Methods and Concepts. Oxford.

Siegel, J.S. (2002). Applied Demography: applications to business, government, law and public policy. San Diego.

Assessment strategy

The module is examined through a written 2-hour examination requiring some simple data manipulations, an analysis section on standardisation and life tables, and a third section on definitions and concepts.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External