Postgraduate Course: Social Demography (SCIL11024)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course is an introduction to the social scientific study of human populations, including their size, composition with respect to age, sex, and other characteristics, and their geographic distribution. We will be discussing the latest demographic research that addresses such questions as:
*How many Americans are gay?
*Why did the fertility rate decline in many countries during the second half of the twentieth century?
*Why are Glaswegians in poorer health than residents of many other UK cities?
This course is organized as follows. In week 1 we discuss the kinds of research questions that are of interest to social demographers. I also give my take on what is distinctive about a demographic approach to social research. In weeks 2 and 3 we discuss the sources of quantitative and qualitative data and analytical methods that demographers use. In weeks 4, 5, and 6 we discuss two basic demographic processes necessary for understanding population change: fertility and mortality. We review issues of conceptualization and measurement as well as theories of fertility and mortality differentials at the population level. In weeks 7 and 8 we cover the special topic of family demography, which is concerned with the interrelationship between family behavior (e.g., marriage) and population processes (e.g., fertility). In week 9 we discuss the implications of population aging and family change for the strength of older people¿s support systems. In week 10 we discuss social policy developments in this domain among more economically developed countries. |
| Course description |
In most weeks there will be a 1-hour lecture followed by a 1-hour discussion based on that week's readings. Postgraduates will also be required to attend five informal seminars on the following Thursdays:
September 24th (week 1)
October 22nd (week 5)
October 29th (week 6)
November 12th (week 8)
November 19th (week 9)
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand how births, deaths, and migration affect population change.
- Know the sources of data and analytical methods that demographers use.
- Be able to compare and contrast theories of fertility and mortality differentials.
- Understand the interrelationship between various family behaviors and population processes.
- Know demographic changes and social policy developments that have implications for the robustness of older people¿s support systems.
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Reading List
Core Texts
*Poston, Jr., Dudley L., and Leon F. Bouvier. 2010. Population and Society: An Introduction to Demography. Cambridge University Press.
*Reviews essays from the academic journal Annual Review of Sociology. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Alexander Janus
Tel: (0131 6)51 3965
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Kate Ferguson
Tel: (0131 6)51 5122
Email: |
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