Module overview
This Module provides an introduction to the technical basis of demography. It focuses on concepts and methods underpinning demographic analysis and provides a practical introduction for those professionally engaged with demographic work (in government departments, for example) as well as for MSc and doctoral students in a wide range of cognate disciplines.
The module is numerical but not highly mathematical so that some prior familiarity with quantitative methods is an advantage but not required.
This module is run as a 3-day short course.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Identify principal sources of demographic data and assess their strengths and weaknesses.
- Describe the rationale for the use of demographic models and to be able to use such models for practical purposes.
- Construct and interpret single-decrement life tables.
- Discuss the demographic significance of age structures and the implications of variations in age structure.
- Specify and calculate the principal demographic measures, and standardise these measures for comparison and interpretation.
- Identify the components of population change, including the effects of changing birth, death and migration rates, and demonstrate their influences on age structures.
- Define and interpret key concepts used in demographic methods.
Syllabus
Sources of demographic data, population size and growth, age-sex structures, principles of demographic measurement, key demographic rates and measures, direct and indirect standardisation,
life tables, current methods for making population estimates, period and cohort perspectives.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
The course is offered over 5 working days and attendance is required for all sessions. There are worked examples throughout as well as take-home exercises, which can be used for revision at the end of the course.
Key materials including textbooks and papers are all provided electronically so that all can be accessed remotely after the end of the course.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 59 |
| Teaching | 16 |
| Total study time | 75 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Wachter, KW (2014). Essential demographic methods. Cambridge MA: Harvard.
Rowland, D. (2003). Demographic Methods and Concepts. Oxford.
Andrew Hinde (1998). Demographic Methods.
Siegel, J.S. (2002). Applied Demography: applications to business, government, law and public policy. San Diego.
S Preston, S.H., Heuveline, P. and Guillot, M. (2001). Demography: Measuring and Modelling Population Processes. Oxford.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
The module is examined through a written 2-hour examination requiring some simple data manipulations, an analysis section on standardisation and life tables, and a third section on definitions and concepts.
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Exam | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Exam | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Exam | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External