OVERVIEW

The course deals with the themes of population and its dynamics with particular attention to the relationships with economic and social dynamics with an international and comparative perspective. After a brief introduction to the technical aspects, the course explores the historical dynamics of the world's population, the situation of developing and developed countries, migration movements and some of the main future dynamics, with some references to the issue of sustainable development.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to understand the knowledge of international demographic contexts for the purpose of assessing the impact of demographic change on the socio-economic system with particular attention to the structure of the population in future dynamics. The importance of migratory phenomena is also analyzed

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to deepen the current demographic dynamics and to provide the tools to evaluate and interpret the manifestations and causes of territorial differentiation of demographic phenomena in the world. In particular, demographic issues are illustrated by comparing the demographic conditions of countries with advanced economic development and those of poor countries. This reading key allows to fully highlight the similarities and differences in demographic processes, both historical and contemporary, that characterize the areas of the world. The training activity will include a constant reference to the applicative aspects of the topics dealt with through the use of data and materials available at national and international level. This objective will also be pursued through the use of group work.

Knowledge and Understanding 

At the end of the course the student will know the basic tools to analyze the structural and dynamic aspects of developed and undeveloped populations. In particular, the student will be able to:

• to measure population size, its variations and its distributions in time and space;
• to measure and analyze the structural characteristics of populations;
• to measure and analyze the dynamic components;
• to classify populations by different levels of evolution and development.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

 The approach followed will require the student to be able to insert previous knowledge on economic and social issues within the dynamics of the world population, also in order to promote a correct understanding of the international political debate on population issues and economic and social development. The approach followed, based also on the study of specific cases, will serve to develop in the student's autonomous capacities of judgment on the themes dealt with: for example on the effects of current trends, or on the effects of national and international political choices.

Autonomy of judgment 

The students will be encouraged to develop specific competencies also through the request to identify, and eventually use, in full autonomy of judgment and in a critical perspective, statistical sources and data that allow a quantitative analysis of demographic phenomena. The autonomy of judgment will be developed during the course through participation, in addition to the lessons, in seminar and/or group activities.

Communication Skills 

Students will be required to discuss the comparability of demographic sources, the quantitative information that can be found from these sources. Efforts will be made to enhance students' oral or written expression skills and to stimulate their ability to communicate using modes appropriate to the demographic disciplines. Students will critically interpret quantitative information, organized in on-line databases.

Learning Capabilities 

The course pursues the intent of stimulating students' abilities in undertaking, with full autonomy and responsibility, learning pathways. Learning skills are developed in the course of study as a whole, in particular through the planned individual study, the preparation of individual projects, the experience of group work and the observation and analysis of case studies.

Knowledge:

Students who have passed the examination will be able to use statistical methods and data, local, national and international, for elaborations and analyses related to population structure and population movements. In particular, they will have acquired the basic tools to be able to analyze international migration, world population and its evolution in time and space, and the role of population in international relations.

Competencies:

• interpret sociodemographic phenomena;
• ability to find data and statistical reports useful to build the economic and financial framework of reference;
• to find data useful to understand social change and to interpret them (also) for the purpose of organizational improvement;
• understand the role of demographic change in sustainable development scenarios;
• interpreting the evolutionary structure of the population and migratory aspects;
• analysis of different international demographics;
• the approach followed, also based on the study of specific cases, will serve to develop the students' autonomous judgment on the topics dealt with: for example, on the effects of current trends, or on the effects of national and international political choices.

PREREQUISITES

There are no pre-requisites for teaching attendance.

TEACHING METHODS

Classes are face-to-face and, "in accordance with the University Premises Access Rules adopted to counter the pandemic spread from COVID, classes may possibly be conducted on TEAMS. The TEAMS code will eventually be communicated via aulaweb;

The materials used during the lessons will be made available on AulaWeb together with other materials (reports, links to databases, etc.) aimed at defining the quantitative aspects of the phenomena studied.
Occasionally, scholars or experts of the discipline will be invited to conduct seminars in order to deepen specific aspects of the issues addressed.
Attending students will also have the opportunity to carry out case studies through group work. The group work is divided into two phases: drafting of a written paper, oral presentation accompanied by slides. Punctual information will be provided in class and through the AulaWeb of the teaching.

For non-attended students, no changes in the program or in the assessment method will be applied. However, these students are invited to contact their reference teacher.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Introduction to world demography, the long-term evolution of the world's population, and the "demographic transition" paradigm:
• Towards 2100: a narrow planet?
• Europe in demographic crisis
• Analysis of the main countries of the European Union: comparative profiles
• The states born from the disintegration of the Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia. The Balkan countries
• Demography of the main Asian countries
• Countries on the southeastern shores of the Mediterranean
• Sub-Saharan Africa, critical issues and demographic potential
• The American continent
• Australia and New Zealand, demographics of Oceania
• Globalization, population growth and sustainable development: the human development index
• Analysis of international migration
• The population we will have: toward asymmetrical development

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Materials on AulaWeb

Aurora Angeli, Silvana Salvini (2018) Popolazione mondiale e sviluppo sostenibile. Crescita, stagnazione e declino, Il Mulino, Bologna.

Massimo Livi Bacci (2015) Il Pianeta Stretto, Il Mulino, Bologna

United Nations (2019) 2019 Revision of World Population Prospects https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/

United Nations (2022) 2022 Revision of World Population Prospects Summary of Results https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/wpp2022_summary_of_results.pdf

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ENRICO IVALDI (President)

RICCARDO FERMO SOLIANI

ANDREA CIACCI (Substitute)

PETRA DI LAGHI (Substitute)

DANILO LEGNARO (Substitute)

PIETRO STANISLAO PARISI (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

 18 September 2023
Lessons will be held in the first semester and will begin the first week scheduled in the semester's academic calendar

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is based on the presentation of a work that develops in depth the demographic situation of a geographical area or a topic to be carried out individually or in groups of students. The work must include both a power point presentation and a text (about 10 pages). Details of both will be agreed upon with the instructor in the course. During the discussion, the student must be able to answer questions, including methodological ones, posed by the teacher.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral interview will assess:

• the mastery and depth of knowledge,
• the ability to use the skills developed.

Evaluation criteria are:

• the quality of the exposition,
• the correct use of appropriate vocabulary
• the capacity for critical analysis, including possible cases discussed.

The students who will carry out the group work will be evaluated on the quality of the work in terms of content and form.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with special educational needs, disabilities and DSA are invited to get in touch with the referent of the Department (Prof. Aristide Canepa) and with the teacher in order to agree on didactic and examination forms that take into account individual learning modalities and provide suitable compensatory tools.