Module Objectives

The aim of this module is to go deeper in the population studies, to sharpen perception about population growth and change and emphasize on the relationship between population and growth, population and security as well as population and environment.

Special attention is placed on topics like population ageing and its impact on all aspects of economic and social life. An overview of population policies, both in developed and developing countries, is presented and different policies are assessed.

After having attended this module, students are expected to have realized how demography influences all aspects of life, at the regional, national and individual level.

Course Content

– Demographic Perspective -History of human populations-World Population Growth Rates – Geographical distribution of human populations -Global Demographic Contrasts- Population Projections- Population Doctrines (Malthus, Marx, Becker, Easterlin)

– Population Structures and Characterisrics
– Age and Age cohorts: The Impact of declining mortality / declining fertility
– Population Ageing: social and economic consequences
– Population and Environment
– Population Policy in more and less developed countries

Teaching and Assessment

The teaching method consists of a 3-hour lecture per week. Students are encouraged to attend and actively participate in all lectures. A couple of laboratory sessions are scheduled for a better approach of the quantitative section.

Students have to choose, prepare and orally present a topic of their interest. They will have to support their presentation and be able to answer questions on it (counts for 40% of the final grade).

This presentation will be accompanied by a short written report (counts for 60% of the final grade).