Instructional goals
Develop an understanding of major contemporary demographic trends and their implications for social, economic, environmental, and political systems.
Apply comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives to analyze demographic challenges across different world regions and development contexts.
Interpret demographic data, indicators, projections, and scenarios while recognizing their assumptions, uncertainties, and limitations.
Evaluate the interactions between population change and key societal domains, including human capital, climate change, economic development, diversity, sustainability, and public policy.
Critically assess competing explanations and policy responses to contemporary demographic challenges using evidence-based reasoning.
Reflect on the ethical, cultural, and philosophical dimensions of population change, including questions of intergenerational justice, sustainability, and population futures.
Prerequisites
No specific prerequisites are required. A sound statistical knowledge is desirable.
Intended learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Describe and explain major contemporary demographic trends and population challenges at global and regional levels.
Compare demographic dynamics across different societies and world regions, recognizing how historical, social, economic, cultural, and environmental contexts shape population outcomes.
Analyze the relationships between population change and key societal domains, including human capital, economic development, climate change, diversity, sustainability, and public policy.
Interpret demographic indicators, data sources, projections, and scenarios, and critically assess their strengths, limitations, and underlying assumptions.
Evaluate demographic challenges and policy responses using evidence-based arguments and comparative perspectives.
Discuss the ethical, cultural, and philosophical implications of demographic change, including questions of intergenerational justice, sustainability, and population futures.
Communicate demographic evidence and arguments effectively, both orally and in writing, through critical discussion and analysis of real-world cases.
Course Contents
This course examines major contemporary demographic trends and population challenges from both global and regional perspectives. Students will explore how population dynamics interact with social, economic, environmental, and political processes, and how demographic change shapes development trajectories across different world regions.
Rather than providing a purely technical overview of demographic methods, the course adopts an interdisciplinary and discussion-oriented approach. Through thematic modules and regional case studies, students will investigate how demographic processes unfold in diverse contexts and how population issues are interpreted across scientific disciplines and policy debates.
Particular attention is devoted to the role of human capital and education in shaping demographic outcomes, societal resilience, and sustainable development.
Reference Books
Textbook:
W. Lutz (2021). Advanced introduction to demography. Elgar Advanced Introductions
Course readings, lecture slides, datasets, and other supporting materials will be distributed by the instructor via the myLuiss platform and updated regularly throughout the course.
Teaching Methods
The course combines:
Lectures
Guided seminar discussions
Analysis of demographic datasets and indicators
Case-study based learning
Student presentations
Critical review of academic literature
Assessment Method
Group presentation (in class, week 7): 30%
Individual final oral exam: 70%
Preparation for the oral examination should be based on the adopted textbook, Advanced Introduction to Demography, as well as all slides shared during the course.
Non-attending students’ exam will consist in:
A paper (approximately 3,000 words);
An oral examination.
Both examinations will be held in class on the scheduled examination date. Three hours will be allocated for the written examination.
Preparation for the oral examination should be based on the adopted textbook, Advanced Introduction to Demography, as well as all slides shared during the course.
Thesis assignment criteria
Interest in the discipline
High grade at the exam
Week 1
Global Population Challenges
-Population growth, decline, and distribution
-Demographic dividend and demographic burden
-Human capital and development
Key Questions:
Is the world facing overpopulation or population implosion?
Why do demographic trends matter for development and sustainability?
Week 2
Global Population Change
-Demographic Transition
-Population momentum: positive or negative?
-Regional differences in demographic transitions
Key Questions
-Why do demographic transitions occur at different speeds in different countries?
-How do demographic transitions affect economy?
Week 3
Population and Environmental Demography
-Climate change and environmental risk
-Climate impacts fertility, mortality, and migration
-Education and climate resilience
Key Questions
-How does climate change affect population dynamics?
-Can education enhance societal resilience to environmental change?
Week 4
Human Capital and Demographic Change
-Human capital -Education and inequalities
-Education as a driver of development
Key Questions:
-Why is education is key for Demography?
-How does human capital influence population?
Week 5
Demography of Crises and Shocks
-Wars and population change
-Pandemics and mortality shocks
-Economic and political crises
Key Questions:
-How do populations recover from shocks?
-Which factors promote demographic resilience?
Week 6
Demographic Futures and Scenarios Planning
-Population projections and uncertainty
-Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs)
-Future demographic scenarios
Key Questions:
-How reliable are population forecasts?
-What uncertainty in demographic projections?
Week 7
Regional Demographic Challenges
-Population declines in Central-Eastern Europe
-Youth population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
- India vs China: different demographic challenges
Key Questions:
-Why do demographic challenges vary across regions?
-What lessons can be learned from comparative analysis?
Week 8
Demography and Economic Performance
-Population and economic growth
-Demographic dividend
-Population declines and economic adaptation
Key Questions
-When does population growth promote development?
-How do demographic age structures affect economic performance?
Week 9
Demography and Philosophy
-Intergenerational justice
-Pronatalism and reproductive freedom
-Ethical dimensions of demographic policies
Key Questions:
-What obligations do present generations have toward future generations?
-Should demographic policies seek to influence population size and composition, or should reproductive choices remain entirely individual?
Week 10
Demography and Diversity
-Ethnicity, race, and population processes
-Religion and demographic behavior
-Diversity, inclusion, and social cohesion
Key Questions:
-How do demographic processes differ across social groups?
-How should demographic diversity be measured and interpreted?
Week 11
Demography and Ecological Sustainability
-Sustainability and demographic change
-Resource use and consumption
-Population and environmental sustainability
Key Questions:
-How do population dynamics interact with the Sustainable Development Goals?
-To what extent are environmental pressures driven by population size versus consumption patterns, inequality, and levels of development?
Week 12
Population, Policy Responses, and Course Synthesis
-Global demography and population policies
-Future demographic pathways
-Final course reflections
Final Discussion:
-What are the most important demographic challenges of the twenty-first century?
-Which policy responses appear most promising?