The course offers an exploration of the demographic issues of the contemporary world in historical and anthropological perspective. The course is divided into two blocks in which students are introduced to the rudiments of demographic analysis on the one hand and the present situation and the challenges of the immediate future on the other hand through a historical, geographical and anthropological perspective.

The course provides an overview of the current demographic situation at the global and regional level, as well as the challenges of the immediate future. The first part introduces students to the rudiments of the concepts, methods and indicators of demographic analysis. The aim is to enable them to grasp the nuances and specific meaning of these and thus to make full use of the wealth of demographic information provided by statistical agencies. The second part adopts a historical and geographical perspective in order to understand the processes by which we have arrived at the current circumstances. The analysis adopts as its main thread the monitoring of the ways in which the population, including migratory movements, has adapted to geographical areas with unequal resources and environmental constraints. Finally, studies and research groups of the so-called ‘Anthropological Demography’ will be presented.



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Introduction: The demographic question in today's world. Presentation and sources of information

Measuring population growth: population growth rates, crude rates and age-specific rates of demographic variables.

Dissecting demographic mechanisms: synthetic indicators of fertility and mortality. Analytical frameworks of their determinants.

Population, Resources and Environment: the experience of pre-industrial societies.

Population, Resources and Environment: the transition to today's world.

Population. Resources and Environment: the challenges of the immediate future.

The recent development of Anthropological Demography or the recognition of contributions from anthropology to a better understanding of the diversity of demographic behaviour.

Theoretical and practical training will be combined.

• Continuous Assessment System
• Final Assessment System
• Tools and qualification percentages:
  • Written test to be taken (%): 60
  • Realization of Practical Work (exercises, cases or problems) (%): 40

All students will be able to opt for a final exam in which 100% of the course will be assessed. Students who opt for continuous assessment will be able to carry out activities that will guarantee them up to 40% of the final grade, the rest being assessed by means of a differentiated final exam.

Final exam.

A dossier of readings and activities will be prepared for students who opt for continuous assessment.

Basic bibliography

CAIN, L.P. and PATERSON, D.G. (2012). The children of Eve. Population and well-being in History, Wiley-Blackwell.



DOMINGO, A. (2018). Demografia y posverdad: esterotipos, distorsiones y falsedades sobre la evolución de la población, Barcelona, Icaria.



HARRIS, M. and ROSS, E.R. (1991). Muerte, sexo y fecundidad. La regulación demográfica en las sociedades preindustriales y en desarrollo. Madrid: Alianza Universidad.



LIVI BACCI, M. (2012). Historia Mínima de la Población Mundial. Barcelona: Ariel.



PETIT, V. (2013): Counting populations, understanding societies. Towards an Interpretative Demography, Springer.



PRB (2003): Guía rápida de la Población del Population Reference Bureau.

In-depth bibliography

CAMPBELL, J. (1996). Ecología Humana. Barcelona. Salvat.

DIAMOND, J. (1998). Armas, Gérmenes y Acero. Las sociedad humana y sus destinos. Barcelona. Debate.

DIAMOND, J. (2006). Colapso. Por qué unas sociedades perduran y otras desaparecen. Barcelona. Debate.

GOODY, J. (2001). La familia europea. Ensayo histórico-antropológico. Crítica.

LIVI BACCI, M. (2012). Breve historia de las migraciones. alianza Editorial.

MC NEILL, J.R. (2003). Algo nuevo bajo el sol. Historia medioambiental del mundo del siglo XX. Alianza editorial.

NUSSBAUM, M. (2012) Crear capacidades. propuestas para el desarrollo humano. Paidos.

PNUD. (1990-2013). Informes de Desarrollo Humano.

REBATO, E., SUSANNE, C.H. and CHIARELLI, B. (2005). Para comprender la antropología biológica. Evolución y biología humana. Verbo divino.

RIECHAMNN, J. (2006). Biomímesis. La Catarata.

SANCHEZ BARRICARTE, J.J. (2008). El crecimiento de la Población Mundial. Implicaciones socieconómicas, ecológicas y éticas.

THERBORN, G. (2012). El Mundo. Una guía para principiantes. Alianza Editorial.

TODD, E. (1996). El destino de los emigrantes. Asimilación y segregacón en las democracias occidentales. Tusquets.arcelona. Tusquets

Journals

Reis. Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas.
Revista de Demografía Histórica.

Web addresses

www.ine.es
www.eustat.es
www.un.org