The course explores the relationships between population, development, and migration, with a particular focus on African and Asian contexts. It provides theoretical, methodological, and empirical tools to analyze demographic and migratory changes, assess their social, economic, and political implications, and interpret them in light of today’s major global challenges. Students will acquire skills in the use of demographic data and sources, developing critical and analytical abilities to understand population growth, decline, and mobility dynamics from a comparative perspective.
Course Prerequisites
None
Teaching Methods
Lectures, group presentations, and class discussions
Texts
Slide and scientific articles presented in class Recommended textbooks • Massimo Livi Bacci, Storia minima della popolazione del mondo. E uno sguardo al futuro. Il Mulino, Bologna, 2024 (sesta edizione) • Alessandra De Rose e Alessandro Rosina. Introduzione alla demografia. Analisi e interpretazione delle dinamiche di popolazione. Egea, Milano, 2022
Contents
The course addresses the main topics related to population and demographic dynamics, with particular attention to African and Asian contexts. Both theoretical approaches, introducing the major demographic theories of population, and empirical approaches, through the analysis of recent studies and research, will be adopted. Specifically, the following topics will be covered: • Introduction to demography: fundamental concepts, indicators, and theoretical approaches. • Population dynamics: growth, stagnation, and decline of populations across time and space. • Mortality and survival: trends, determinants, and implications for population health. • Fertility and natality: models, socio-cultural and economic determinants, and policy implications. • Migration: measurement and typologies of migrations and migrants; theories and approaches to migration, including push and pull factors that motivate mobility; populations of the Global North and South and migration flows. • Population structure: age pyramids, demographic structure indices and indicators, including sex ratio. • Sources and demographic data: critical use of census data, statistical sources, and sample surveys. • Population ageing: causes and social, economic, and policy implications. • Population health: epidemiological transitions and health inequalities.
