| Academic year: | 2008-2009 |
| Course code module | 3BSOC-060E |
| Semester: | 2nd semester |
| Credits: | 6 |
| Study load (hours) | 168 |
| Theory (hours): | 45,00 |
| Practice/Exercises(hours): | |
| Other (hours): | |
| Part-time program: | 1 |
| Instructor(s) | Therese Jacobs
|
| Language of instruction: | English |
| Semester exam information: | exam in the 2nd semester |
| Contract restriction information: | |
1. Prerequisites
*Algemene competenties
This course is compulsory for 3BAC sociology students. These students have had several courses in social scientific methodology and in statistics and they have basic knowledge of analysing the living conditions of people in Europe from a sociological perspective.
Therefore this course is offered to foreign students with an enrollment in social sciences.
*Sequentiality
2. Objectives (expected learning outcomes)
- knowledge of standard demographic concepts, measures and graphs
- knowledge of data sources
- knowledge of pro's and con's of cross-sectional and longitudinal perspectives
- knowledge of general trends of population dynamics in own country, Europe and the world
- ability to analyse dempographic phenomena in terms of demographic transitions
- ability to analyse fertility, mortality and migration in Europe as a matter of population policy.
3. Course content
The course is conceived of as a guided self learning of a set of articles, papers, book chapters on population dynamics. This material is either downloadable from internet or available in the university library. There are weekly sessions of 2 hours where specific aspects are discussed. Students prepare these sessions. Gradually the focus changes from passive to active knowledge building. In between, 1 guest lecturer offers his view on specific matters.
The content of the course covers all essential aspects of population dynamics. It deals with total population trends, population structure (age and gender) and analysis of fertility, mortality and migration. The course is structured by a portfolio of articles. The selection covers basic introductory texts as well as papers that use more sophisticated research methods. The focus lies on theoretically underpinned analyses. Students have to take their own country as a casus in order to learn the main demographic measures and graphs.
4. Teaching method
Direct contact: Tutorials
Personal work: Assignments - individualAssignments - in groupSupervised self-studyProject-based work - in group
5. Assessment method
Exam: Oral, with written preparationClosed book
Continuous assessment: Participation in classroom activities
Presentation
6. Compulsory reading – study material
1. K. Namboodiri (1996), A primer of population dynamics. Plenum press, New York and London. Chapter 3
2. Haupt A. & Th.T. Kane (2004), Population Reference Bureau's Population Handbook, 5th Ed, Washington. to download from www.prb.org
3. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social affairs, Population Division (2007), World Population prospects: the 2006 revision, Highlights, Working paper N° ESA/P/WP.202
4. Weeks J.R. (2005), Population. An introduction to concepts and issues. 9th ed., Wadsworth. (Chapter 3: 68-108)
5. Morgan S. Ph. & M.G.Taylor (2006), Low fertility at the turn of the twenty-first century. Annual Review of Sociology, 32: 375-99
6. McDonald P. (2006), Low fertility and the State: the efficacy of policy. Population and development review 32(3) : 485-510
7. Breton D. & F.Prioux (2008), The one-child family: France in the European context. Presentation at EPC, Barcelona. Paper downloadable from blackboard in due time
8. Beaujean E. & A.Solaz (2008), Childbearing after separation. Do second unions make up for missing births? Evidence from France. INED. Documents de travail, nr155
9. Bongaarts J. (2006), How long will we live? Population and development review. 32 (4): 605-628
10. Murphy M, E.Grundy & S.Kalogirou (2007), The increase in marital status differences in mortality up to the oldest age in seven European countries 1990-99. Population studies, vol 61 (3) : 287-298
11. Jennissen R. (2007), Causality chains in the international migration systems approach. Population reserch and policy review. 26:411-436
12. Coleman D. (2006), Immigration and Ethnic change in Low-Fertility Countries: A third demographic transition. Population and development Review, 32 (3), pp401-446
7. Recommended reading - study material
Palmore J.A; & R.W. Gardner (1996), Measuring mortality, fertility and natural increase. A self-teaching guide to elementary measures. East-west center, Honolulu
Electives for presentation:
Lesthaeghe R.J. & L.Neidert (2006), The second demographic transition in the US: Exception or textbook example? Population and development review 32 (4) : 669-698
Zeng Yi (2007), Options for fertility policy transition in China. Population and development review 33(2) : 215-246
Zuberi T., A.Sibanda, A.Bawah and A.Noumbissi (2003), Population and African Society. Annual review of Sociology. 29:465-86
8. Tutoring
Prof. Thérèse Jacobs
Joke Thirion