Demographic Change, Ageing & Globalisation (DL)

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Describe major differences and trends in population size, age structure, health, and longevity and their impact on old-age welfare in different parts of the world
• Demonstrate understanding of the interconnections between demographic processes, globalisation, political economy and the lifecourse in shaping welfare in old age
• Presenting and interpreting quantitative evidence in written coursework
• Locating relevant literature and published data
• Integrating information from different disciplines
• Critical analysis and argumentation
• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of different systems of old-age support and care

The module will focus on the Global South and include lectures on demographic concepts, measures and data sources; the shift in population size and age structures; longevity, health, disability and care; the changing nature of family and kin support; social protection, ageing and development; the role of communities and civil society in providing old age security; the impact of migration on older people’s lives; careworker migration (as a student debate).

Teaching and learning methods

The module is taught by a combination of online lectures and learning activities. Learning activities include critical reflection, tasks and problem-solving related to the lectures, which students are encouraged to email to the module convenor and/or put on the Discussion boards created for the module, independent study, and the creation of graphs and tables to represent demographic and health data, writing a demographic country report. Students are expected to take part in a structured online student debate which involves posting brief position statements and commenting on others' statements. Students are encouraged to carry out some reading in advance of and during each session. There is an optional tutorial for the assignment (Demographic Country Report) on creating and interpreting graphs and tables.

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Module resources. Module resources will be available on Blackboard, such as lecture handouts, audio-recordings of lectures, coursework details, references and module updates. Students will be provided with guidance to use Teams for verbal/visual communication with tutors; a recorded lecture will instruct students on how to locate and process demographic information for their Demographic Country Profile.

Textbooks

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

Lloyd-Sherlock, P. (2010). Population Ageing and International Development: From Generalisation to Evidence. Bristol: The Policy Press (e-book).

Sivaramakrishnan, K. (2018). As the World Ages: Rethinking a Demographic Crisis. Cambridge (Mass.): Harvard University Press.

Hyde M and Higgs P (2022). Ageing and Globalisation. Bristol: Bristol University Press.

Dannefer, D. and C. Phillipson (eds) (2010). The Sage Handbook of Social Gerontology. London: Sage (e-book).

McDaniel, S. A. & Z. Zimmer (Eds.). (2013). Global Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: Challenges, Opportunities and Implications. London: Taylor & Francis Group (e-book).

Assessment strategy

The assessment consists of a 3000-word demographic country report, featuring graphs and tables created by students from publicly accessible demographic data; description and explanation of demographic trends; and critical discussion of old-age support provision in the featured country.

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 Information

Repeat type: Internal & External