Demography and Contemporary Societies
Code: 104240 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2503710 Geography, Environmental Management and Spatial Planning | OB | 2 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Juan Antonio Modenes Cabrerizo
- Email:
- juanantonio.modenes@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject. Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2023.
Teachers
- Catalina Roca Fernández
- Antonio Lopez Gay
Prerequisites
No special requirements
Equal treatment for the students coming from the two degrees where this course is teached:
Geography, Environment and Territorial Planning (compulsory)
Social and Cultural Anthropology (optional)
Objectives and Contextualisation
Course objective: The basic objective of the subject is to introduce students to the basic features of the study of human populations, both in terms of the DEMOGRAPHIC METHOD and of the KNOWLEDGE of the most general demographic phenomena; as well as its interrelation with historical, territorial and environmental contextual elements.
a) Introducing the students to the main demographic indicators
• Calculation of indicators: methods and data sources.
• Demographic information available: data banks on the Internet
b) How is the behavior of real populations.
• Understanding the historical process of shaping populations and demographic systems
• Interactions of the demographic system with other spheres of human activity, environment and planning.
c) Reinforcement of the logical and analytical elements in relation to population studies.
• Demographic approaches for the interpretation of social information.
Competences
- Combine distinct techniques and methods of representation and spatial analysis in elaborating materials for transmitting results.
- Critically analyse the relationship between society and the region applying the conceptual and theoretical framework of geography.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
- Systematically analyse and interpret environmental, demographic, urban and landscape elements.
Learning Outcomes
- Combine distinct techniques and methods of representation and spatial analysis in elaborating materials for transmitting results.
- Examine how different social, economic, political and environmental processes create and transform spaces and social relationships.
- Identify and understand social and regional inequalities in society.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
Content
- Introduction to the course, contents and methodology
- The subject of Demography.
- Methods: Sources of demographic data
- Methods: Time dimensions and Lexis diagram.
- Methods: Indicators and rates in Demography
- Methods: Comparability in Demography. Standardization of rates.
- Analysis of phenomena. Main mortality indicators.
- Analysis of phenomena. Main fertility indicators.
- Theories of demographic change. Demographic Transition
- Theories of demographic change. Demographic Dividend.
- Theories of demographic change. Demographic Metabolism.
- Applied demography: Population projections.
- Applied demography: Housing demand forecasting.
- Applied demography: Urban planning impact on population
Methodology
The course will last approximately 15 weeks, at a rate of 3 hours per week, which sum up 50 hours of joint work in the classroom.
The weekly work will consist of two types of sessions:
- A first session of 1,5 hours will be TE type (lectures), that is, sessions in which the teacher will keep the main role through the presentation and explanation of the different topics, including the use of ICT (internet access, interactive power-point presentations ). Student participation will be encouraged through previous reading, questions and small debates.
- A second weekly session (1,5 h) will be of the PAUL type, practical work in a lab computer classroom, in which the teacher will coordinate the individual or small groups work. In these practical sessions online public statistics sources will be presented and handled, problems of calculation of urban, demographic and housing indicators will be solved, as well as relevant texts or other material of interest will be discussed.
The two sessions in some weeks will be TE type (lectures).
Every 1 or 2-week lab work session will end with an assignment. All assignments will take part in the course's final evaluation, together with 2 partial exams.
University teaching intranet will be used (Campus Virtual). There, students will be able to access all documents needed for the lectures and lab sessions. It will also be the place for students to deliver the assignments before successive deadlines.
In one of the last sessions of the course, students will be able to fulfill the surveys of evaluation of teaching activity and evaluation of the course methods.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures | 31.34 | 1.25 | 5 |
| Problems in computer lab | 15.66 | 0.63 | 1 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Individual or small groups tutoring | 10 | 0.4 | 5 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Autonomous work on assignments | 20 | 0.8 | 1 |
| Compulsory reading | 30 | 1.2 | 5 |
| Studying for exams | 20 | 0.8 | 5 |
| Supplementary recommended reading | 10 | 0.4 |
Assessment
Assessment is a continuous process, based on partial exams and assessment of assignments. Single assessment is not possible for this course.
- Assessment of theory and concepts (lecture classes) will be carried out through two partial exams. They will consist of 4-5 short questions, which will combine theoretical and conceptual aspects, with practical questions.
- Assessment of the lab sessions will be done through assignments, at a rate of one per week or every two weeks, approximately. A reasonable deadline period will be set for every assignment (approx. 2-3 weeks). The contribution of students in the final discussion during lab sessions will be considered as well.
- There will be an assessment of the questionnaire on the obligatory bibliography.
Grading: The grade for the two partial exams represents 45% of the total value (22.5% + 22.5%), the evaluation of the mandatory readings accounts for 10%, and the evaluation of the practical exercises represents the remaining 45%. To pass the course, it will be necessary to: a) achieve a grade of 5 or higher in the overall assessment (weighted average of exams, readings, and practical exercises), b) obtain an average of 5 in the exams, with a grade of 4 or higher in both, and c) the average evaluation of the practical exercises must surpass or equal a grade of 4.
The final grade will be the weighted average of all grades. Exercises and exams not completed will be counted as 0 (zero). Practical exercises submitted after the established deadline will not be accepted and will be considered not completed (Grade 0, zero). Attendance to practical classes will be a criterion taken into account in their evaluation. Students will receive the grade of "Not evaluable" if they have not submitted more than 30% of the assessment activities, including the two partial exams.
The assessment pieces of evidence indicated above can be reassessed or retaken. There will be a reassessment activity of the partial exams that will take placeon the date fixed by the teaching coordinator of the degree. The exams and the assignment dossier can not be reevaluated jointly; the student must pass exams or either assignments. Only those exams and assignments carried out and / or delivered within the established deadlines may be re-evaluated.
Assignment reports will be individually delivered by each student, although cooperative work can be done during its elaboration in or out of the classroom.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject. Among these irregularities are "copy" and "plagiarism". Let's remember that a "copy" is considered a work that reproduces all or most of the work of one or more classmates. "Plagiarism" is the fact of presenting all or part of a text of an author as its own, without mentioning the sources, be it on paper or in digital format. See UAB documentation on "plagiarism" at: http://wuster.uab.es/web_argumenta_obert/unit_20/sot_2_01.html.
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
The assessment procedure is the same for students retaking the course.
Health alerts: In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participationwill be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussions on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Please make sure to have obtained the certificate of completion for the citation module offered on the Virtual Campus by the UAB Library Service before the final deadline for submitting the first assignment.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment of compulsory reading | 10% | 0.5 | 0.02 | 3, 5 |
| Final redaction of Assignment reports | 45% | 10 | 0.4 | 1, 4 |
| First partial exam (theory) | 22,5% | 1.25 | 0.05 | 3, 2, 5 |
| Second partial exam (theory) | 22,5% | 1.25 | 0.05 | 3, 2, 5 |
Bibliography
Each theory session is accompanied by a short compulsory reading, which must be read and prepared before the session, and a complementary reading, recommended to complete the study of related knowledge and skills.
The required and recommended readings will be announced, along with the course calendar, on the first day of class.
The reference bibliography for the course is:
Recommended books:
GARCÍA, Isidro Dubert; PÉREZ-CARAMÉS, Antía (2021). Invasión migratoria y envejecimiento demográfico.: Dos mitos contemporáneos. Catarata, 2021.
LUTZ, Wolfgang (2021) Advanced Introduction to Demography. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar
Handbooks of Demographic Analysis
ARROYO, Andrés, Elena MANZANERA, Y Antonio PASCUAL -EdS- (2007), Estadísticas demográficas y sociales. Difusión
estadística. Jaén: Universidad de Jaén.
PRESSAT, Roland. (1983). El análisis demográfico. Madrid: FCE.
RILEY, Nancy; Brunson, Jan (Eds.). (2018). International Handbook on Gender and Demographic Processes (Vol. 8). Springer.
TAPINOS, George. (1988). Elementos de demografía. Madrid: Espasa Calpe.
Population dynamics.
CABRÉ, Anna. (1999), El sistema català de reproducció, Barcelona, Proa.
LIVI-BACCI, Massimo (2012) Historia mínima de la población mundial. Barcelona: Crítica. (English version: BACCI, Massimo Livi. 2017. A concise history of world population. John Wiley & Sons)
THUMERELLE, Pierre-Jean. (1997) Las poblaciones del mundo, Madrid: Cátedra
REQUES, Pedro (2001). Población, recursos y medioambiente:¿ el final de los mitos. Santander: Ed. Universidad deCantabria.
More references during classes
Software
During classes at the computer lab, the following software will be used in order to process statistical data:
- Excel
The final reports of lab activities must be submitted in .pdf format.