Population Problems and Processes*
Professor Karen A. Woodrow-Lafield
Spring 1998 and Spring 2000 (Mississippi State University)
Sociology 6703
Class Times Tu Th, 11:00 am to 12:15 pm
Class Location Simrall Room 330
Contact Info
Office: 214 Bowen Hall, Phone: 601-325-7888,
Email: Woodrow_Lafield@Soc.MsState.Edu (currently WoodrowLafield@cs.com )
Website: http://www2.msstate.edu/~karen/ (currently http://home.comcast.net/~karenwoodrowlafield )
Office Hours Tu Th, 9:00 am to 10:30 am, or by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is an advanced introduction to the theoretical and substantive issues in the social scientific study of population. In exploring a demographic perspective, the key topics are the fundamentals of population processes (fertility, mortality, and migration), population structure and change, contemporary social issues (aging, urbanization, economic development, resources, and the environment), population policy, and demographics for business and planning.
TEXTBOOKS:
* John Weeks, 1999, Population: An Introduction to Concepts and Issues 7th edition, Wadsworth.
* United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 1999, Oxford University Press.
* Reynolds Farley, 1995, State of the Union: America in the 1990s, Volume Two: Social Trends, Russell Sage Press.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Class Meetings:
This course meets Tuesday and Thursday beginning at 11:00 a.m. and concludes at 12:15 p.m. in Simrall Room 330. The first class is January 11 and the final exam is scheduled Thursday, April 27, during the regular class period. All written work must be submitted by May 1. Attendance at every class will be important for building your knowledge base and learning from colleagues. Absences (other than any as a normal outcome of registration) will be recorded. There will be regular writing assignments based on assigned reading. These will always be fairly short (1-4 double-spaced typed pages) essays or discussion of empirical issues. As graduate students, you are responsible for participating in presentation and discussion of readings.
Readings:
The primary textbook is Population; supplementary readings are in the Farley volume; the United Nations volume is an important reference.
Internet Resources:
We will utilize Internet resources and you must demonstrate proficiency in their use by compiling a workbook or notebook of your notes, printouts, etc., for review in the last week of the semester. Primary ones are those suggested by Professor John Weeks at the Wadsworth Sociology home page for each chapter: http://sociology.wadsworth.com/weeks/
Workload:
Students should expect to spend several hours a week in their studies for this course, generally 9-15 hours of weekly study for this course. You might need more or less time on certain topics, during some weeks, or for preparing for exams.
GRADES
First Exam 20%
Second Exam 20%
Third Exam 20%
Final Exam 20%
Assignments 10%
Participation 10%
COURSE CALENDAR, LECTURE AND EXAM SCHEDULE, AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
January 11 (Tu) Introductions
PART ONE: A DEMOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE
January 13 (Th) Weeks, Chapter 1, Introduction to the World’s Population
January 18 (Tu) Weeks, Chapter 2, Demographic Resources
January 20 (Th) Weeks, Chapter 3, Demographic Perspectives
PART TWO: POPULATION PROCESSES
January 25 (Tu) Weeks, Chapter 4, Mortality, Appendix, The Life Table
January 27 (Th) Weeks, Chapter 5, Fertility: Concepts and Measurement
Weeks, Appendix, Net Reproduction
February 1 (Tu) Weeks, Chapter 6, Fertility Trends, Levels, and Explanations
February 3 (Th) Weeks, Chapter 7, Migration
February 8 (Tu) In Farley, Chiswick and Sullivan, Chapter 5, The New Immigrants
February 10 (Th) Examination (Chs. 1-7)
PART THREE: POPULATION STRUCTURE AND CHARACTERISTICS
February 15 (Tu) Weeks, Chapter 8, Age and Sex Structure
February 17 (Th) Weeks, Chapter 9, Population Aging
In Farley, Treas and Torrecilha, Chapter 2, The Older Population
February 22 (Tu) Weeks, Chapter 10, Family Demography and Life Chances
February 24 (Th) In Farley, McLanahan and Casper, Chapter 1, Growing Diversity and Inequality in the American Family
In Farley, Hogan and Lichter, Chapter 3, Children and Youth: Living Arrangements and Welfare
February 29 (Tu) Weeks, Chapters 11, The Urban Transition
In Farley, Frey, Chapter 6, The New Geography of Population Shifts
March 2 (Th) Examination (Chs. 8-11)
March 6 Midsemester Holiday
PART FOUR: POPULATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND THE ENVIRONMENT
March 14 (Tu) Weeks, Chapter 12, Population Growth and Development
March 16 (Th) Weeks, Chapter 13, Population Growth, Food, and the Environment
March 21 (Tu) Human Development Report 1999; No class on Thursday due to the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, Los Angeles
PART FIVE: USING THE DEMOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE
March 28 (Tu) Continued discussion of Chs. 12-13
March 30 (Th)
April 4 (Tu) Examination (Chs. 12-13)
April 6 (Th) Weeks, Chapter 14, Population Policy
April 11 (Tu) Weeks, Chapter 15, Demographics
April 13 (Th)
April 18 (Tu) In Farley, Harrison and Bennett, Chapter 4, Racial and Ethnic Diversity
April 20 (Th) Revisiting topics discussed earlier
In Farley, McLanahan and Casper, Chapter 1, Growing Diversity and Inequality in the American Family
In Farley, Treas and Torrecilha, Chapter 2, The Older Population
In Farley, Hogan and Lichter, Chapter 3, Children and Youth: Living Arrangements and Welfare
In Farley, Chiswick and Sullivan, Chapter 5, The New Immigrants
In Farley, Frey, Chapter 6, The New Geography of Population Shifts
April 25 (Tu) Evaluation of Progress
April 27 (Th) Examination (Chs. 14-15)
May 2 (Tu) Last Class Day
COMMENCEMENT