Sociology of Population

Catalog description

What are Demography and Social Demography? How have population dynamics changed in the past few decades or even centuries? How do social demographers use demographic concepts and techniques to make sense of population changes and social problems in the United States and worldwide? This course provides an overview of the subfield of demography, which is the scientific study of the human population. We will systematically examine the size, composition, and distribution of populations, introduce key processes of birth, death, and migration, and link them to the health and well-being of individuals and families as well as the social, political, and economic organization of societies. Specifically, we will cover the topics of Demographic Transitions; Mortality, Aging, and Health; Fertility, Marriage, and Family; and Migration, Urbanization, and Environment. We will also examine special topics such as the Demography of Race and Ethnicity and Population Policy. Our class will discuss substantial materials from the global context and adopt an inequality lens to highlight intersecting systems of privilege and suppression based on gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, class, age, immigration status, nationality, and so on. Offered as SOCI 377 and SOCI 477 . Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.