Programme

I part: introduction and basic elements
Introduction to Demography: definition of demography and population; the historical and actual demographic sources
Dimension and structure of population: the total of population, growth rates; population structure.
The dynamics of population: generic and specific rates; standardization; the demographic transition.
The analysis of demographic trends: Lexis diagram; rates and probabilities; longitudinal and yearly analysis.

II part: the methodological study of demographic phenomenon
Mortality: the measures of study on mortality; life-table; child-mortality.
Marriage trend: the marriage rates
Fertility: birth rates; fertility rates; reproductivity.
Migration: main migration sources; migration rates.
Forecasting: the main method of demographic projection.

III part: in-depth studies
European population trends
Population ageing
Mortality
Child Mortality
Fertility
Projection of population
a choice of in-depth studies:
1) Bonifazi C. L'Italia delle migrazioni. Il Mulino
+Livi Bacci Il pianeta stretto pp. 13-32 e 157-163
2)Golini A. La popolazione del pianeta. Il Mulino
+cap. I “La popolazione oggi in Italia” del volume Associazione italiana per gli studi di popolazione, Rapporto sulla popolazione. L’Italia all’inizio del XXI secolo. Il Mulino, Bologna, 2007; i cap. I “Crisi economica e dinamica demografica” e cap. cap. V “Migrazioni internazionali e interne di italiani e stranieri” del volume Associazione italiana per gli studi di popolazione, Rapporto sulla popolazione. L’Italia nella crisi economica. Il Mulino, Bologna, 2015.

Core Documentation

Poston, D. L., & Micklin, M. (Eds.). (2005). Handbook of population. Kluwer Academic/Plenum.
Part I Population Structure: 1 Age and Sex, 2 Population Distribution and Suburbanization, 5 Demography of Aging
Part II Population Processes: 12 Fertility, 13 Infant Mortality, 14 Adult Mortality, 15 Internal Migration, 16 International Migration

Research material
European population: Eurostat, Population and population change statistics (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Population_and_population_change_statistics)
Ageing population: Cap 6 – An ageing society – focus on the elderly in Eurostat People in the EU: who are we and how do we live? (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3217494/7089681/KS-04-15-567-EN-N.pdf)
Mortality: World mortality report 2017 HIghlights
https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/mortality/WMR2017/WMR2017_Highlights.pdf
Child Mortality: Levels & Trends in Child Mortality UN Report 2018 pag 1-14
(http://www.childmortality.org/files_v22/download/UN%20IGME%20Child%20Mortality%20Report%202018.pdf)
Fertility: World fertility report 2017 HIghlights
https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/fertility/worldFertilityReport2015_highlights.pdf
Projection of population: World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights
https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_10KeyFindings.pdf

Reference Bibliography

Caselli, G., Vallin, J., & Wunsch, G. (2005). Demography: Analysis and Synthesis, Four Volume Set: A Treatise in Population. Elsevier. Poston, D. L., & Micklin, M. (Eds.). (2005). Handbook of population. Kluwer Academic/Plenum.

Type of delivery of the course

Oral lessons and pratical applications. The slides of the oral lessons are available on Moodle.

Attendance

Course attendance is not mandatory. Students can attend the lessons or study autonomously. The topics and learning material is the same for all students who take the examination.

Type of evaluation

In June, July and September 2020, the examination will be in oral form by Microsof Teams. In the written part: 1 exercize and 10 questions. The written part is sufficient if 60% of answers is correct. Oral part regards the main demographic indicators and the main population trends is supported. The examination may not be sufficient if the student does not meet the minimum requirement of knowledge of the main demographic indicators.