2024
Demography
Name: Demography
Code: SOC02385L
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area:
Sociology
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Regime de Frequência: Presencial
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
This CU is an introductory course in demographic methods, teaching how to measure population growth and
age structure, mortality, fertility and migration. It aims to develop skills for thinking systematically about
population problems in Portugal, in Europe and the World.
This course provides also an introduction to the causes and consequences of population change from a social
and historical perspective.
At the end of the course students will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of demographic patterns, processes and trends;
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge of data sources and methods used in demographic analysis;
- Demonstrate ability to apply method and data appropriately to answer nowadays demographic questions and
problems;
- Interpret the output of demographic analysis appropriately;
- Understand the way demographic changes are crucial to our understanding of many important social and
policy issues.
age structure, mortality, fertility and migration. It aims to develop skills for thinking systematically about
population problems in Portugal, in Europe and the World.
This course provides also an introduction to the causes and consequences of population change from a social
and historical perspective.
At the end of the course students will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of demographic patterns, processes and trends;
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge of data sources and methods used in demographic analysis;
- Demonstrate ability to apply method and data appropriately to answer nowadays demographic questions and
problems;
- Interpret the output of demographic analysis appropriately;
- Understand the way demographic changes are crucial to our understanding of many important social and
policy issues.
Contents
1- Population Growth and Age Structure Analysis
Data and sources; The balancing equation for populations; The Growth rate ?r?; Doubling times; Age and sex composition; Age Pyramids; Dependency Ratios; Population Momentum.
2 ? Periods and Cohorts
Lexis Diagrams; The Crude Rate Model;
3 ? Cohort and Period Mortality
The Infant Mortality Rate; Cohort Life Table and Period Life Table
4 ? Cohort and Period Fertility
Cohort fertility and Parity; Period Measures; Period Age-Specific Fertility; Period NRR, TFR and GRR.
5 - Location and Migration
Population Distribution by Geographic Areas; Internal Migration and Short-Distance Mobility; International Migration; Net Migration Estimation Methods.
6 ? Causes and consequences of population change
Population growth and demographic transition; Population aging; Falling fertility and the change in the quantum and tempo in fertility decisions; labor migration
Data and sources; The balancing equation for populations; The Growth rate ?r?; Doubling times; Age and sex composition; Age Pyramids; Dependency Ratios; Population Momentum.
2 ? Periods and Cohorts
Lexis Diagrams; The Crude Rate Model;
3 ? Cohort and Period Mortality
The Infant Mortality Rate; Cohort Life Table and Period Life Table
4 ? Cohort and Period Fertility
Cohort fertility and Parity; Period Measures; Period Age-Specific Fertility; Period NRR, TFR and GRR.
5 - Location and Migration
Population Distribution by Geographic Areas; Internal Migration and Short-Distance Mobility; International Migration; Net Migration Estimation Methods.
6 ? Causes and consequences of population change
Population growth and demographic transition; Population aging; Falling fertility and the change in the quantum and tempo in fertility decisions; labor migration
Teaching Methods
Teaching methodology:
A mixture of theoretical and practical lectures and with support of e-learning tools.
There are weekly exercises. Exercises focus on problem solving strategies to motivate students and to show the utility of demographic techniques.
Students use the EXCEL and SPSS software packages for solving exercises.
Attendance, classroom participation and continued students? assessments are encouraged.
Incentive given to investigation, though individual, or group, research and synthesis.
Lectures: 3 hours per week throughout parts of the semester.
PC-exercises: 3 hours per week through parts of the semester.
Evaluation:
A midterm exam: (2 hour written exam) (30%)
Coursework: portfolio of short assignments based on workshop exercises (10%) ?
Final Exam: (2 hour written exam) (60%)
The final exam will also consist of short answer and essay questions, but will cover content in the entire semester
A mixture of theoretical and practical lectures and with support of e-learning tools.
There are weekly exercises. Exercises focus on problem solving strategies to motivate students and to show the utility of demographic techniques.
Students use the EXCEL and SPSS software packages for solving exercises.
Attendance, classroom participation and continued students? assessments are encouraged.
Incentive given to investigation, though individual, or group, research and synthesis.
Lectures: 3 hours per week throughout parts of the semester.
PC-exercises: 3 hours per week through parts of the semester.
Evaluation:
A midterm exam: (2 hour written exam) (30%)
Coursework: portfolio of short assignments based on workshop exercises (10%) ?
Final Exam: (2 hour written exam) (60%)
The final exam will also consist of short answer and essay questions, but will cover content in the entire semester
Teaching Staff
- Filipe José Batista Ribeiro [responsible]
Certificações
