Obiettivi formativi
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.
Risultati di apprendimento attesi
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.
Contenuti Del Corso
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.
Testi Di Riferimento
Book chapters and journal articles assigned during classes.
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.
Metodologie Didattiche
The course combines:
Lectures
Guided seminar discussions
Analysis of demographic datasets and indicators
Case-study based learning
Student presentations
Critical review of academic literature
Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento
Group presentation (in class, week 7): 30%
Individual final oral exam: 70%
Criteri per l’assegnazione dell’elaborato finale
Interest in the discipline
High grade at the exam
Settimana 1
Global Population Challenges
-Population growth, decline, and distribution
-Global demographic trends
-Demographic dividend and demographic burden
-Human capital and development
Key Questions
Is the world facing overpopulation or population decline?
Why do demographic trends matter for development?
Settimana 2
Global Population Change
-Demographic Transition Theory
-Fertility and mortality transitions
-Population momentum
-Regional differences in demographic development
Case Studies
Europe
Sub-Saharan Africa
Key Questions
-Why do demographic transitions occur at different speeds?
-How do demographic transitions affect economic development?
Settimana 3
Climate Change and Environmental Demography
-Climate change and environmental risk
-Population–environment interactions
-Climate impacts on 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?
Settimana 4
Human Capital, Education and Demographic Change
-Human capital theory
-Education and demographic behavior
-Educational inequalities
-Education as a driver of development
Workshop:
Exploring education and demographic indicators
Key Questions
-Why is education considered a central demographic variable?
-How does human capital influence population futures?
Settimana 5
Demography of Crises and Shocks
-Wars and population change
-Pandemics and mortality shocks
-Economic and political crises
-Vulnerability and resilience
Key Questions
-How do populations recover from demographic shocks?
-Which factors promote demographic resilience?
Settimana 6
Demographic Futures and Scenarios Planning
-Population projections and uncertainty
-Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs)
-Future demographic scenarios
-Human capital and long-term development
Workshop
-Interpreting demographic projections and scenarios
Key Questions
-How reliable are population forecasts?
-What are the main sources of uncertainty in demographic projections?
Settimana 7
Regional Demographic Challenges
-Population declines in Central and Eastern Europe
-Youth population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
- India vs China: differential demographic challenges
Student Presentations
Key Questions
-Why do demographic challenges vary across regions?
-What lessons can be learned from comparative analysis?
Settimana 8
Demography and Economic Performance
-Population and economic growth
-Demographic dividend
-Human capital and productivity
-Population declines and economic adaptation
Key Questions
-When does population growth promote development?
-How do demographic structures affect economic performance?
Settimana 9
Demography and Philosophy
-Intergenerational justice
-Sustainability and obligations to future populations
-Pronatalism, antinatalism, 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?
Settimana 10
Demography and Diversity
-Ethnicity, race, and population processes
-Religion and demographic behavior
-Educational and socioeconomic inequalities
-Diversity, inclusion, and social cohesion
Key Questions
-How do demographic processes differ across social groups?
-How should demographic diversity be measured and interpreted?
Settimana 11
Demography and Ecological Sustainability
-Sustainability and demographic change
-Resource use and consumption
-Population and environmental sustainability
-Development pathways
Key Questions
-How do population dynamics (growth, decline, and age structure) interact with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and long-term sustainability?
-To what extent are environmental pressures driven by population size versus consumption patterns, inequality, and levels of development?
Settimana 12
Population, Policy Responses, and Course Synthesis
-Comparative perspectives on global demographic challenges
-Population policies
-Sustainability and demographic change
-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?