Course 2024-2025 a.y.

This course aims to provide students with key tools to understand population dynamics, key evidence on population change, and its interaction with policies, using the standard toolkit of demography. The course is divided into two parts. In the first part, we will introduce the basics of demographic methods and discuss macro-level population change and its interaction with policies. In the second part, we will explore the role of policies (and related factors) in shaping family, fertility, health, and migration, as well as micro-level empirical approaches and results.

• Be familiar with evidence on past and current population changes from a comparative perspective. 

• Understand demographic scenarios and trends. 
• Be acquainted with demographic approaches to studying survival and health, family and fertility, and migration. 
• Have a clear understanding of how the components of population change interact with policies.

• Read, analyze, and critically evaluate population-related policy reports.
• Read, analyze, and critically evaluate intermediate-level scientific articles on population issues.
• Access and interpret population data from different sources
• Produce a comprehensive policy report on population-related issues.

• Collaborative Works / Assignments

Students will have the option to be partly evaluated based on a population report. The report will be written by groups of up to two students (at the students' discretion). It should focus on a specific population issue, such as demographic trends, policies, or related factors in a country or region. The report should include an analysis of past, present, and future population dynamics, along with an evaluation of current policies and potential policy options.

The report should be structured as a policy brief, directed towards policymakers or government advisors who need information on the population trends, challenges, and policies of the selected country or region.

Attending: 

The final grade will be based on a population report and a partial exam. 

The weight distribution will be 50% for the population report and 50% for the partial exam.

• Population Report: Detailed instructions for the report will be provided separately, including an ad hoc session on the population report around March.
• Partial Exam: This exam will include essay-style questions and will cover all topics from the second part of the course. Material covered in the lectures, the textbook, and other assigned readings may be included in the exam.

The assessment will be based on a final written exam, which will include essay-style questions. The exam will cover material from both the first and second parts of the course. Content from lectures, the textbook, and other assigned readings may also be included in the exam.

Lecture slides that will be made available on Blackboard every week before class and the readings listed in the detailed syllabus.