Understanding Population Change

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Discussing alternative viewpoints in written work and in seminars.
• Critically evaluating research on population issues from a wide range of sources.
• Demonstrate familiarity with the theoretical underpinnings of demography and how they vary according to the setting.
• Assess the social importance of other factors relevant to population studies, such as family structure, health and morbidity, and population policies.
• Presenting and evaluating findings, explanations and theoretical perspectives through written work and seminar talks.
• Demonstrate awareness of the key and emerging demographic issues that face the world's population, and the role of three components of population change: mortality, fertility and migration.

This module is an introduction to the substantive concepts of demography, how populations change and grow or shrink, and the transitions that populations make in various stages of their development. An introduction to the past, present and future world population trends will be followed by a discussion

on importance and implications of age structures, population momentum and population growth. The theoretical underpinnings of demography will be also covered, including the demographic transition, the fertility transition, proximate determinants of fertility, mortality, epidemiological and health transitions, low fertility in industrialised societies, changing family structures, the second demographic transition and the mobility transition. Theories and evidence on preconditions and onset of transitions in different contexts, as well as on why and how transitions happen, will be provided. We will also discuss population and family policies and their implications for society.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching will be via 22 tutor-led lectures and 8 seminars with discussions. Learning activities will include learning in lectures, leading and discussing issues during seminars, writing essays on selected demographic issues, and independent study.

The format of the seminars is that two to three students will present key issues from previously assigned readings, which will be followed by a general discussion. Non-presenting students will be expected to have read at least two of the suggested readings prior to the seminar and to actively contribute to the seminar in the form of questions, comments and discussion.

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Other. Access to text books, journal articles, web sites and other sources of related information. Other than that, no special resources required for this module.

Journal Articles

McKeown T & Brown RG (1972). An Interpretation of the Modern Rise of Population in Europe. Population Studies, Vol. 26(No. 3), pp. 345-382.

Christensen, K., Doblhammer, G., Rau, R., & Vaupel, J. W. (2009). Ageing populations: the challenges ahead.. , The Lancet, 374(9696), 1196-1208.

OmranAR (1971). The Epidemiological Transition: A Theory of the Epidemiology of Population Change. The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, 49(4), pp. 509-538.

Bongaarts J (1978). A framework for analyzing the proximate determinants of fertility. Population and Development Review, 4(1), pp. 105-132.

Textbooks

De Haas, H. et al (2019). The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World. Methuen.

Livi-Bacci, M. (2006). A Concise History of World Population. Wiley-Blackwell..

McFalls JA (2007). Population: a lively introduction.

Harper, S. (2016). How Population Change Will Transform Our World.. Oxford University Press..

McFalls J.A. (2007). Population: a lively introduction.

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