2024
Demography
Name: Demography
Code: SOC10211M
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
To learn how to measure the growth of a population, mortality, fertility and age structure of the population.
Understanding the theoretical fundamentals underlying these measures and how the concept of a "stable
population" is related to the basic principles upon population projections. Learning how to interpret the
demographic rates including life expectancy at birth, the net rate reproduction, intrinsic rate of growth, etc.
Gain some experience in construction, analysis and interpretation of mortality tables, models population,
use of alternative methods of demographic projections, with the introduction of uncertainty and
fundamentals of the theory of stable populations. Understand the importance of demography in general
and projections in particular to the processes of planning and decision-making.
Understanding the theoretical fundamentals underlying these measures and how the concept of a "stable
population" is related to the basic principles upon population projections. Learning how to interpret the
demographic rates including life expectancy at birth, the net rate reproduction, intrinsic rate of growth, etc.
Gain some experience in construction, analysis and interpretation of mortality tables, models population,
use of alternative methods of demographic projections, with the introduction of uncertainty and
fundamentals of the theory of stable populations. Understand the importance of demography in general
and projections in particular to the processes of planning and decision-making.
Contents
1. Basic concepts, methods and techniques of demographic analysis: Models of population growth; period
and cohort analysis; ages specific rates and probabilities; Life Tables, Fertility and Reproduction.
2. Population projections and population models: Projections and Forecasts, Demographic Projections
Methodology, cohort and components method; Projection matrices, probabilistic forecasts.
3. Planning and Forecasting: Structural models; demo-economic models; derived projections (Practical
Examples: participation in labor market, school attendance, health and health care); contribution to
planning and decision-making processes.
and cohort analysis; ages specific rates and probabilities; Life Tables, Fertility and Reproduction.
2. Population projections and population models: Projections and Forecasts, Demographic Projections
Methodology, cohort and components method; Projection matrices, probabilistic forecasts.
3. Planning and Forecasting: Structural models; demo-economic models; derived projections (Practical
Examples: participation in labor market, school attendance, health and health care); contribution to
planning and decision-making processes.
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:
Coursework: portfolio of short assignments based on workshop exercises.
Final Exam: (100%) (2 hour written exam)
To privilege continued evaluation with doing homework and one individual or group. If the students do not
get approval in continuous assessment, they perform a final examination.
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:
Coursework: portfolio of short assignments based on workshop exercises.
Final Exam: (100%) (2 hour written exam)
To privilege continued evaluation with doing homework and one individual or group. If the students do not
get approval in continuous assessment, they perform a final examination.
Teaching Staff
- Filipe José Batista Ribeiro [responsible]
Certificações
