Demography - American Sociological Association

http://www.prb.org/prb/
Population Resources on the Internet
http://nexus.sscl.uwo.ca/sociology/popstudies/quicklinks.html
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, USA)
http://www.undp.org/
United States Census Bureau (USA)
http://www.census.gov/
World Health Organization (WHO, Switzerland)
http://www.who.ch/
Course Requirements:
Attendance and class participation (15%)
Regular attendance and participation in class discussions are required for successful completion
of this course. It is very important that you come to class having completed the assigned readings
for the week. Your participation will be judged on: (1) your ability to respond to questions raised
in the lectures and to demonstrate your understanding of the course readings and materials; (2)
your ability to critically evaluate and synthesize the course readings; (3) your ability to listen to,
and respond relevantly to, the comments of other students in the course. In addition to the
lectures, there will also be an electronic discussion board for this course. The bulletin board will
provide those students who are shy about speaking in class with the opportunity to more fully
participate and demonstrate their understanding of the course materials.
Population exercises (25%)
There will be five techniques exercises that will require you to work with the U.S. Census, Vital
Statistics, and internet-accessible data from other sources. The exercises will also require you to
critically respond to the course readings and to work with spreadsheet software to analyze
demographic data. Each assignment should be approximate 3 to 4 pages in length.
Term paper (30%)
The term paper for this course will require you to bring together the course readings and develop
a critical perspective about the consequences of population growth. In your term paper you
should critically review the evidence put forward on the linkages between population growth and
demographic change (e.g. environmental effects, food supply, population aging, etc.). Your paper
should not attempt to address every single argument that has been made, but should instead reflect
a critical analysis of several of the key concerns that have been raised throughout the semester.
The term paper will be described in more detail in a separate hand-out.
Examinations (30%)
There will be two examinations in this course. The examinations will cover all class materials-lectures,
readings (including those not discussed directly in class), films and/or guest speakers.
Review sheets will be provided. The exams will be a combination of essay questions and
techniques problems. The final examination will be comprehensive.
Topics and Readings For Each Week
16