Demographic Change, Ageing & Globalisation (DL)

Module overview

This module provides you with a foundation of knowledge on demographic change and population ageing in a cross-cultural, global perspective. The module views ageing through an international development lens, focusing on less economically developed countries (LEDCs) and on linkages between different regions of the world. You will gain an understanding of the implications of contemporary demographic and health changes for the welfare of individuals, families and societies; and an awareness of how, with globalisation, demographic, social and economic change in one part of the world impacts upon trends in another. The module takes an intergenerational and lifecourse approach by stressing the close interaction between generations, and between older and younger selves, in the production of care, risk, and welfare in later life. You will be introduced to examples from around the world, including Southeast, East and South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America.

Learning and Teaching

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.

Study time
Type	Hours
Independent Study	132
Teaching	18
Total study time	150

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Assessment

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.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Individual report	100%

Referral

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

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Individual report	100%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External