79188 - Demography

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows basic instruments to analyse structural and dynamic aspects of populations. Particularly, the student is able: - to measure population size, variation and distribution in time and space - to measure and analyse population structural characteristics - to measure and analyse demographic dynamics components

Course contents

Introduction to population studies.

Sources of demographic data.

Population composition and variation. Relations between demographic dynamics and structures.

Basic elements of demographic analysis: crude and age-specific rates, standardization methods.

Age, period and cohort; Lexis diagram, managing data and processes on the diagram. Period and cohort analysis.

Life tables. Life tables conceived as a stationary population. Mortality by cause.

Fertility and reproduction measures.

The demographic transition.

The demographic forecasts (elements).

Migration in population analysis.

Readings/Bibliography

Notes of the lectures will be given during the course. It is possible to download them from the web site of the Virtuale platform.

Suggested readings:

- Jennifer Hickes Lundquist, Douglas L. Anderton, David Yaukey,
"Demography: The Study of Human Population", Fourth Edition 4th Edition Waveland Press, Inc, 2015

- J. A. Palmore, R. W. Gardner, “Measuring Mortality, Fertility, and Natural Increase: A Self-Teaching Guide to Elementary Measures”, East-West Center, 1994

Teaching methods

The course participates in the teaching innovation project, so it will follow a hybrid teaching model that includes:

- Classroom lectures

- Lab exercises for demographic data analysis conducted in Excel or other software

- Online lectures designed to increase student engagement through sub-groups collaboration, and to encourage students' critical reworking of concepts learned in frontal lectures

Assessment methods

Group presentations and final written exam

Group presentations will be assessed as an addition to the final exam grade and are designed to test achievement of the following learning objectives:

- Ability to understand and synthesize one or more scientific studies on demographic issues and/or prepare a country sheet containing a summary of the country's demographic characteristics

- Ability to present to the class the synthesis prepared by the group through peer-to-peer collaborations.

The final exam aims at evaluating the achievement of the following learning objectives:

- to know the main international sources of demographic data and calculate the main demographic indicators

- to measure and analyze the components of population dynamics

- knowledge of demographic methods and issues illustrated during the lectures

- ability to employ these methods to analyze and interpret major population dynamics

The exam is a written test of the duration of 1h30 with 4-5 questions, including both practical exercises and open questions. The exam will be conducted in the computer lab. Each question score is reported in the test.

Teaching tools

The Virtuale platform is the main teaching tool. Power Point presentations, videos and computer labs will be used. Hybrid teaching will make use of the Teams platform.

Office hours

See the website of Chiara Ludovica Comolli