Sociology / Demography C126
Social
Consequences of Population Dynamics
University
of California, Berkeley
Prof. John Wilmoth, Fall 2012
http://www.demog.berkeley.edu/~jrw/126/
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Rapid change in the size and composition of
human populations is a defining characteristic of the Industrial Era. During this period population growth
has accelerated sharply, resulting in a seven‑fold increase in world
population since 1750. In many
countries today, this growth has slowed down or come to a halt, but in others
it continues at a rapid pace. At
the same time, the population age structure in much of the world is growing
older due to a steady increase in life expectancy coupled with a falling birth
rate. These population changes
raise a number of complex and important social issues: the impact of population growth on
human societies and the physical environment, the effect of population aging on
societal mechanisms for caring for the young and the elderly, and the role of
demographic and economic imbalance in international relations and immigration.
This course presents an introduction to demography, or the study of human populations. The focus is on historical population change broken down into its various components: mortality, fertility, marriage, and migration. The course explores both the causes and consequences of historical demographic trends, especially with regard to the population issues mentioned above. There are three hours of lecture and one hour of section per week. A research paper and regular attendance (both lectures and sections) are required.
SYLLABUS
The syllabus gives
detailed information about the course.
MEETING TIMES
Lectures
The first lecture will take place on
Thursday August 23, 2‑3:30 pm, in Rm. 56 of Barrows Hall.
Sections
There will be no sections during the
first half-week of class (i.e., August 23‑24). Sections will take place at their
regularly scheduled times beginning the week of August 27.
bSPACE
For additional information, enrolled
students may consult the bSpace page for this course.
READINGS
On a temporary basis, readings for the first
weeks of the course are available here for students
who do not yet have access to bSpace.