London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

This module provides an introduction to global population trends and processes. The headlines are dominated by pressing population issues, such as falling birth rates, ageing communities and migration flows. Students will take away from this module an understanding of how the most important population issues have emerged and changed over time. It provides students with the theoretical tools needed to understand why fertility, mortality and migration, vary over time and space. The module also takes a critical approach to understanding research on population, and considers how population issues are presented beyond academia.

The module provides an ideal substantive complement to the module Demographic Methods, which provides a technical introduction to population issues, though Population Studies is a stand-alone module which does not need to be taken alongside Demographic Methods.

Participants will gain the skills needed to evaluate research literature on population trends, and critically reflect on how population issues are presented in the media.

What you will learn

The overall module aim is to enable students to acquire a broad substantive knowledge of population trends and a critical understanding of the major theories, findings and debates about determinants of trends and differentials in the fertility and mortality of human populations and the consequences of such variations.

Upon successful completion of the module, a student will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of broad contemporary and historical variations and trends in demographic trends, particularly mortality and fertility, but also migration, in human populations.
• Articulate and critique arguments about what explains fertility and mortality variation and trends by making use of key literature in the field.
• Understand the population and other consequences of changes in fertility, mortality and migration.
• Identify the key implications of population change for public health and public policy, such as for fertility, health, and development policies.
• Develop a critical understanding of the use of data and research on population issues, including beyond academia.

Who should apply

This module is suitable for anyone who wants to understand population trends; why fertility, mortality, migration and population growth vary over time and space; and what implications such population trends have for public health and policy.