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Demography

Code: 101098 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500259 Political Science and Public Management OT 3
2500259 Political Science and Public Management OT 4
2500262 Sociology OT 4
2503778 International Relations OT 4
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 3
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4

Contact

Name:
Roser Nicolau Nos
Email:
roser.nicolau@uab.cat

Teachers

Francesc Muņoz Pradas
Roser Nicolau Nos

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

They have not been established


Objectives and Contextualisation

Contextualization: This subject is taught in the third and fourth years of the Degree in Politics and Public Management, in the fourth year of the Degree in Sociology and in the fourth year of the Degree in International Relations.

Objectives: The subject is an introduction to the study of human populations for social science students. It is oriented to the learning of basic methods and techniques of demographic analysis and knowledge (empirical and theoretical) of the most relevant contemporary demographic transformations.

Training objectives. Basic training is structured around the following aspects:

1. Knowledge of the statistical sources for the study of the populations and of the basic methodologies for their treatment
2. Basic principles in the development of demographic indicators.
3. Applications of demographic analysis to the study of social and political phenomena.
4. Knowledge of contemporary demographic changes.


Competences

    Political Science and Public Management
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Applying the discipline's main theories and different fields to real practical and professional problems.
  • Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  • Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  • Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
  • Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  • Distinguishing the discipline's main theories and different fields: conceptual developments, theoretical frameworks and theoretical approaches underlying the discipline's knowledge and different areas and sub-areas, as well as their value for the professional practice through concrete cases.
  • Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  • Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  • Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
  • Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  • Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  • Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  • Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Working autonomously.
  • Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
  • Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
    Sociology
  • Analysing the problems arising from the implementation of public policies and conflict situations by recognising the complexity of the social phenomena and political decisions affecting democracy, human rights, social justice and sustainable development.
  • Applying the concepts and approaches of the sociological theory, specially the explanations of social inequalities between classes, between genders and between ethnic groups, to the implementation of public policies and to the resolution of conflict situations.
  • Assessing the contributions of sociological approaches to the study of culture, education, interaction between society and environment, social policy, and work.
  • Demonstrating a comprehension of the analysis of social phenomena presented in English, as well as observing their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Demonstrating a comprehension of the approaches of the sociological theory in its different aspects, interpretations and historical context.
  • Describing social phenomena in a theoretically relevant way, bearing in mind the complexity of the involved factors, its causes and its effects.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Developing self-learning strategies.
  • Effectively communicating the basic analysis of social phenomena in an elementary level of English.
  • Generating innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
  • Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
  • Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
  • Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.
    International Relations
  • Analyse the behaviour of international actors, both state and non-state.
  • Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  • Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  • Produce and prepare the presentation of intervention reports and/or proposals.
  • 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 be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
    Contemporary History, Politics and Economics
  • Analyse the sociodemographic, geoeconomic and environmental dynamics at different territorial scales.
  • Manage and apply data to solve problems.
  • 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 be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Work cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams implementing new projects.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  2. Analyse and critically evaluate the evolution of the population of a region.
  3. Analyse and evaluate the socioeconomic and environmental causes and consequences of the evolution of population in a region.
  4. Analyse and show future scenarios focusing on the different basic demographic variables.
  5. Analyse the relations between population growth, economic development and the environment.
  6. Analysing and explaining future scenarios bearing in mind the expected evolution of the basic demographic variables.
  7. Analysing and explaining future scenarios bearing in mind the expected evolution of the demographic variables.
  8. Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  9. Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  10. Carry out basic demographic studies (population pyramids, growth forecasts, age-period cohort analysis) and analyse the main current problems of the population.
  11. Carrying out basic demographic studies (population pyramids, prospects of population growth, age cohort analysis) and analysing the main current population problems.
  12. Compare social policies from different ideologies present in the social reality of Spain and Catalonia.
  13. Comparing the different theoretical approaches concerning social policy.
  14. Comparing the reading of social policies from several ideologies of the social reality of Spain and Catalonia.
  15. Comprehending the social interpretations of social policy in accordance with these approaches.
  16. Critically analysing and assessing the evolution of a territory's population.
  17. Defining the basic knowledge of the demographic analysis, particularly the essential categories, techniques and elements of the study of population (rates of birth, death, migration and natural increase).
  18. Defining the sociological concepts that interpret social policy.
  19. Defining the underlying social phenomena of social policies and conflicts about social needs.
  20. Demonstrate the capacity for oral and written communication in Catalan, Spanish and English which allows the work to be summarised and presented orally and in writing.
  21. Demonstrating a comprehension of the analysis of social phenomena presented in English, as well as observing their strengths and weaknesses.
  22. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  23. Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
  24. Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  25. Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  26. Developing self-learning strategies.
  27. Distinguishing sociological concepts about social policy.
  28. Distinguishing sociological concepts, as well as the methods and techniques of social investigation commonly used to analyse social policy.
  29. Distinguishing the explanations of the access inequalities and the impact of social policies between classes, between genders and between ethnic groups that these actors take for granted.
  30. Distinguishing underlying social policies of specific conflicts.
  31. Effectively communicating the basic analysis of social phenomena in an elementary level of English.
  32. Expressing the debates regarding these approaches, that refer to social policy.
  33. Generating innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
  34. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  35. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  36. Interpret the complexity of sustainability and interpret processes of change, from the perspective of sustainable development.
  37. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  38. Know the main theories on economic development and demographic change.
  39. Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implement new projects, coordinate, negotiate and manage conflicts.
  40. Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
  41. Make decisions in situations of uncertainty and show an enterprising and innovative spirit.
  42. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  43. Organise work in relation to good time management and planning.
  44. Outline the basic knowledge for demographic analysis, in particular the basic techniques and elements for studying population (birth and death rates, migration , natural and organic growth, etc.)
  45. Produce and prepare the presentation of intervention reports and/or proposals.
  46. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  47. Relate the mechanisms and institutions of cooperation for development and the improved biological welfare of the population.
  48. Relating the concepts, methods and techniques used to analyse social policy with general theoretical and methodological debates.
  49. Relating the debates regarding these approaches, that refer to social policy, with the historical context in which they emerged.
  50. Relating the explanations of the access inequalities and the impact of social policies with the general theoretical and methodological debates.
  51. Relating them with the debates about state, social change and inequality.
  52. Respect the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  53. Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  54. Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
  55. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  56. Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
  57. 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.
  58. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  59. Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.
  60. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  61. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  62. Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  63. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  64. Use sources of data, time references and magnitudes in population analysis.
  65. Using data sources, time references and magnitudes in population analysis.
  66. Working autonomously.
  67. Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
  68. Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.

Content

1. Population growth

   1.1 Evolution of the world population and the projections of the UN
   1.2 Demographic transition in different groups of countries
   1.3 Foundations and justification of population policies
   1.4 Sources and methods for estimating populations and describing their characteristics.

   1.5 Measurement and calculation of growth rates

   1.6 Use of graphs with arithmetic and logarithmic scales

2. Changes in the composition by sex and age of the population
   2.1 Relationship between male and female populations: determinants and consequences
   2.2 Indicators and graphic representations
   2.3 Causes and perspectives of aging of populations
   2.4 Consequences of changes in age composition of population

3. Growth components and use of gross and specific rates
   3.1 Vital and migratory statistics

   3.2 Balancing equation and calculation of gross rates
   3.3 Interpretation of gross rates and the use of age specific rates
   3.4 Control of structural effects: standardization techniques

4. Description of demographic phenomena
   4.1 Temporal reference and the use of Lexis Diagram
   4.2 Types of magnitudes (stock, flow) and measures (proportions, rates and probabilities)
   4.3 Period and cohort approach: longitudinal, cross-sectional and by age or duration
   4.4 Interpretation of period data: differentianting  between effects of age, generation and momentum. Analysis of various sociodemographic variables

5. Construction of demographic tables
   5.1 Functions of a table and synthetic indicators: the model of the  life table
   5.2 Constructionand interpretation of period life tables
   5.3 Application to the analysis of fertility. Period or Cohort Tables.

6.- Evolution and inequalities of mortality and fertility
   6.1 Determinants of health and mortality: historical evolution, international and internal disparities in Western countries
   6.2 Decline and fluctuations of fertility.Analysis of proximate variables, their causes and consequences.
 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Seminar (practices) 16.5 0.66 11, 16, 54, 65
Theoretical classes 33 1.32 13, 17, 48
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 14 0.56 21, 56, 59, 66
Type: Autonomous      
Readings 23.5 0.94 21, 25, 37, 61
Resolve the practices 24 0.96 11, 25, 35, 42, 54, 59, 65
Study 32 1.28 6, 16

The course is organized around  three types of educational activities : Lectures, Assignments and Readings. This set of activities is carried out in three levels:

Conducted activities: lectures and practice sessions led by the teacher.

Supervised activities: monitoring of practices and activities requested in class.

Autonomous activities: completion of the practices, preparation of the written tests, study of the theoretical contents and complementary readings

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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Practices 25 2 0.08 2, 8, 10, 11, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 39, 42, 43, 44, 45, 48, 49, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68
Reading control 15 1 0.04 4, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 37, 42, 44, 45, 46, 49, 51, 53, 56, 57, 58, 60, 63, 64
Written test 60 4 0.16 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 36, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 68

1. CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

The subject will be graded on continuous assessment basis from the following activities and weights:

• Two written tests throughout the course (the arithmetic mean of these two notes will be weighted 60% to calculate the final grade)
• One reading control (the note will be weighted by 15% to calculate the final grade)
• One Assignment (the note will be weighted by 25% to calculate the final grade)

To participate in the resit exam the student must have obtained an average grade between 3.5 and 4.9. The date of this test will be scheduled in the exam calendar by the School of Political Science and Sociology administration. .

The students who do not show up to one or more of the activities submitted to evaluation throughout the course will be graded as  “non assessable subject"

2.COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION (Art. 265 of the UAB Academic Regulations)

By requesting the comprehensive evaluation the student waives the option of continuous evaluation.

The comprehensive  evaluation must be requested at the Academic Management (Gestió acadèmica) of the Campus where the degree/master's degree is taught. The request must be filed according to the procedure and the deadline  established by the administrative calendar of the Faculty of Politics and Sociology.

Attendance :

  • Student  attendance  is mandatory on the day of the comprehensive assessment. The date will be the same as that of the final exam of the semester as per the evaluation calendar published by the Faculty of Economics and Business and approved by the Faculty's Teaching and Academic Affairs Committee. The duration of the comprehensive assessment must be specified in the characteristics of such activity.
  • 100% of the evaluation evidences must be handed in by the student  on the day of the comprhensive assessment.
  • The evaluation evidences carried out in person by the student on the same day of the comprehensive assessment must have a minimum weight of 70%.

The following information referring to the characteristics of the comprehensive assessment must be included:

Evidence Type (1)

Weight in the final assessment (%) (2)

Duration of the activity

Is the activity that corresponds to this evaluation evidence to be carried out in person on the  date scheduled for the comprehensive evaluation? (YES/NO) (3)

Exam

100%

3,5 hours

YES

 

(1)   Descriptive title of each piece of evidence (exam, problem sets solving, case analysis, activity carried out using specific software that the student is expected to know,...)

(2)   Weight of the evidence in the final mark of the subject (specify the percentages of each evaluation evidence that the student must undertake)

(3)   For each piece of evidence: Is the activity that corresponds to this evaluation evidence to be carried out in person on the  date scheduled for the comprehensive evaluation? (YES/NO)

RETAKE PROCEDURE :

"For the retake procedure, no distinction is made between students who have followed the continuous evaluation and those who have opted for the comprehensive evaluation. All will be re-assessed using the same test or evaluation evidence."

REVIEW OF THE FINAL QUALIFICATION:

"The review of the final qualification will follow the same procedure as for the continuous evaluation".


Bibliography

Introduction to demography:

POSTON, D. L  i BOUVIER .F.2018 Population and Society, An Introduction to Demography. Cambridge University Press.

PRESSAT, R. 2000. Introducción a la Demogafía. Altaya.

PRESSAT, R. 1981. Demografía  estadística. Ariel. Barcelona

VALLIN, J. 1995. La Demografía. Alianza Editorial. Madrid

Demographic analysis textbooks:

HENRY, L. 1976. Demografía. Análisis y modelos. Barcelona, Ed. Labor

HINDE, Andrew. 1998. Demographic methods. Arnold.

LEGUINA, J. 1981. Fundamentos de demografía. Madrid, Siglo XXI

LERIDON, H. TOULEMON, L. 2014. Demografía. Cedua. Col Mex

LIVI BACCI, M. 1993. Introducción a la demografía. Barcelona, Ariel.

LUTZ, W. 2021. Advanced Introduction to Demography. Elgar Advancsd Introductions series.

POSTON, D. L  y MICKLIN, M. (eds).2009. Handbook of Population. Springer

PRB'S Population Handbook. 2011 https://www.prb.org/wp.../prb-population-handbook-2011

PRESSAT, R. 1983. El análisis demográfico. México, Fondo de Cultura Económica

PRESTON, S.H., HEUVELINE, P. i GUILLOT, M. 2001. Demography: measuring and modeling population processses, Blackwell Publishers.

ROWLAND, D. 2003. Demographic Methods and Concepts. Oxford University Press.

SIEGEL, J.S., SWANSON, D. 2004. The methods and materials of demography. Elsevier.

TAPINOS, G. 1990. Elementos de demografía. Madrid, Espasa Calpe

VALLIN, J. 1995. La demografía, Alianza Editorial, Madrid.

WACHTER, KW. 2014. Essential Demographic Methods.Harvard University Press

YAUKEY, D. 2015 . Demography, the study of human population. Waeland press

Population issues:

CUTLER, D., DEATON, A. y LLERAS-MUNEY, A. 2006. “The determinants of mortality” Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol 20 nº3, pp: 97-120

EZEH, A.C., BONGAARTS J. y MBERU. B. 2012. “Global Population Trends and Policy Options” The Lancet (July 10) doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60696-5.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673612606965LIVI BACCI, M. 2009. Historia mínima de la población mundial. Ariel. Barcelona

LAM, D. 2011. “How the World Survived the Population Bomb: Lessons From 50 Years of Extraordinary Demographic History,” Demography, (nov.), pp. 1231-1262
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13524-011-0070-z

LEE, R. 2003. “The Demographic Transition: Three Centuries of Fundamental Change,” Journal of Economic Perspectives v. 17, n. 4, Fall 2003, pp. 167–190.
http://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/089533003772034943

LIVI BACCI, M. 1998. Historia de la población europea. Crítica. Barcelona.

LIVI BACCI,M. 2012. Historia Mínima de la Población Mundial. Ariel Editorial.

LIVI BACCI, M. 2012. Breve Historia de las Migraciones. Alianza Editorial

LIVI BACCI,M. 2017. Our Shrinking Planet. Polity Press (traducción de “Il planeta stretto”.2015. Il Mulino)

MCFALLS, J.A. (5ºedició 2007) Population: A Lively Introduction. Population Bulletin,. vol 62, nº1. http://www.prb.org/pdf07/62.1LivelyIntroduction.pdf

SCIENCE, 29 july 2011, nºdedicat al creixement demogràfic (en particular articles de Bloom, Bongaarts, Lee i Malajkoff). http://www.sciencemag.org/site/special/population/

Dossier:

a) Statistical material used and commented on class. Readings about some program topics, exercises and practice sessions materials. This dossier is available at the electronic address of the virtual campus.

b) Teaching Materials: Courses notes available at the electronic address of the Virtual Campus

Electronic addresses:

Look at the website of the "Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics" of the UAB: http://www.ced.uab.es/. Links from other research centres and production of data and demographic statistics institutions are available.


Software

Excel


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Spanish second semester morning-mixed