Dr Arjan Gjonca OLDM2.25

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Social Research Methods. This course is available on the MSc in Development Studies, MSc in Health, Population and Society, MSc in Population and Development, MSc in Statistics and MSc in Statistics (Research). This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Students should have basic numeracy, but the course does not require advanced mathematical knowledge.

This course is an introduction to the key concepts and methods of population analysis. It will introduce the fundamental components of population change: fertility, mortality and migration, and will discuss methods of data collection and population projections. Topics covered will also include population age-structure and growth; marriage and reproduction; an introduction to population projections; and the use of models in demography. Importance is placed on the understanding and interpretation of demographic data, as well as the methods of population analysis.

15 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the MT. 3 hours of lectures in the ST.

Students will be expected to complete exercises and write two essays during the term.

A detailed reading list will be provided at the start of the course. A useful text is Demographic Methods and Concepts by D Rowland, 2003; or, alternatively Methods and Models in Demography by C Newell, 1988 or Demographic Techniques by A H Pollard, F Yusuf & G N Pollard, 1990, A Demography: Measuring and Modeling Population Processes by S H Preston, P Heuveline and M Guillot, 2001.

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.