SOC 320 Population Dynamics and Policy 2nd Term, 20078

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SOC 320 Population Dynamics and Policy(2nd
Term, 2007-8)

• Instructor Dr. Kenneth W. K. Law
• (Ext. 7209 Rm. 213)

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Brief Course Description

• This course starts with an introduction to the
  global trends and patterns in fertility,
  mortality and migration.
• It is followed by discussions on the patterns and
  social consequences of various population
  policies aimed at monitoring population growth,
  structure, quality and movement.
• Special focuses will be put on the convergent and
  divergent of population dynamics and policies
  between the more developed and the less developed
  societies.
• Population issues and policies specific to Hong
  Kong will also be discussed

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Aims

• This course provides students with fundamental
  knowledge about population studies.
• It also tries to provide students with a general
  picture of the global population structure and
  change and
• arouse their awareness of the importance of
  population composition, population policy, and
  other social variables in analyzing population
  dynamics and changes in modern world.

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Learning Outcomes

• Upon completion of this course, students will be
• 1. equipped with the basic knowledge and
  techniques of population studies
• 2. able to understand the basic structure and
  components of the dynamics of a population
• 3. aware of the nature, types, and significance
  of population policy
• able to analyze the social consequences of
  population dynamics in a multidisciplinary
  context and
• 5. able to relate population issues to policy
  measures in their native and neighboring
  societies.

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Indicative Content

• Introduction
• a. Nature and domains of population
  studies
• b. Sources of population data
• c. World population An introduction
• d. Hong Kongs population major trends
  and projections

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Indicative Content

• The Study of Fertility
• a. World trends and patterns
• b. Determinants of fertility
• c. From birth control to contraception
• d. The case of Hong Kong

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Indicative Content

• The Study of Mortality
• a. World trends and patterns
• b. Changing patterns of causes of death
• c. Demographic and social consequences
  of declined mortality
• d. The case of Hong Kong

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Indicative Content

• The Study of Migration
• a. World trends and patterns
• b. Determinants of migration
• c. Social impacts of migration
• d. The case of Hong Kong

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Indicative Content

• Population Growth and Socio-economic Development
• a. World trends and patterns
• b. The Malthusian and Marxist debate
• c. Issues and prospects

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Indicative Content

• Population Aging
• a. World trends of population aging
• b. Demography of the aging population
• c. Social consequences of population
  aging

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Indicative Content

• Population Policy
• a. Nature and scope of population policy
• b. Population problems in developed and
  developing countries
• c. Population policies in developed and
  developing countries
• d. Population problems and policies in
  Hong Kong

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Teaching Method

• Lectures combined with tutorials
• on top of final examination and tutorial
  presentations
• students are required to write three reports on
  summarizing the aims, objectives, methodology and
  major findings of three journal articles

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Assessment

• 3 journal articles review 30
• Tutorial Participation and Presentation 20
• Final Examination 50
• ------
• 
  Total 100
• All students are required to attend tutorials.
  Absence in tutorial without justifiable reasons
  will adversely affect ones final grade (one
  grade downward per each absence).

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Required/ Essential Readings

• Weeks, J. R. 2007. Population An Introduction to
  Concepts and Issues. N.Y. Wadsworth.
• United Nations. 2004. State of World Population,
  2004. United Nations United Nations
  Population Fund.

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Recommended/ Supplementary Readings

• Bongaarts, John and Rodolfo A. Bulatao (eds.)
  2001. Beyond Six Billion Forecasting the
  Worlds Population. Washington, D.C. National
  Academic Press.
• Brown, Lester R., Gary Gardner and Brian Halweil.
  1998. Beyond Malthus Sixteen Dimensions of the
  Population Problem. Washington, D.C. Worldwatch
  Institute.
• Castles, Stephen and Mark J. Miller. 2003. The
  Age of Migration International Population
  Movements in the Modern World. London MacMillan.
• Cliquit, Robert and Kristiaan Thienpont. 1995.
  Population and Development A Message from the
  Cairo Conference. Boston Kluwer Academic Press.
• Demeny, Paul and Geoffrey McNicoll (eds.) 2003.
  Encyclopedia of Population. N.Y. Macmillan.
• Gilbert, Geoffrey. 2001. World Population A
  Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara ABC-CLIO.
• Greenhalgh, Susan. 2005. Governing Chinas
  Population. Stanford, Calif. Stanford University
  Press
• Hong Kong (China) Task Force on Population
  Policy. 2003. Report of the Task Force on
  Population Policy. Hong Kong Government Printer.

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Recommended/ Supplementary Readings

• Johnson, Stanley. 1994. World Population, Turning
  the Tide Three Decades of Progress. London
  Graham and Trotman.
• Lutz, Wolfgang, Warren C. Sanderson and Sergei
  Scherbov (eds.). 2004. The End of World
  Population Growth in the 21st Century New
  Challenges for Human Capital Formation and
  Sustainable Development. London Earthscan.
• McCarthy, Kaven F. 2001. World Population Shift
  Boom or Doom? Santa Monica, CA Rand.
• Newbold, K. Bruce. 2002. Six Billions Plus
  Population Issues in the Twenty-First Century.
  Lanham Rowman and littlefield.
• Peng, Xizhe and Zhigang Guo. (eds). 2000. The
  Changing Population of China. Oxford Blackwell.
  
• Poston, Dudley L. and Michael Micklin (eds.).
  2004. Handbook of Population. London Kluwer
  Academic/Plenum.
• Shen, Jianfa. 2006. Population Growth, Fertility
  Decline, and Ageing in Hong Kong the Perceived
  and Real Demographic Effects of Migration. Hong
  Kong Shanghai-Hong Kong Development Institute,
  Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies.
• United Nations. 2002. World Population Ageing,
  1950-2050. N.Y. United Nations.

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Journals

• International Migration Review
• Population and Development Review
• Population Bulletin
• Population studies
• Population Reports
• Population Research and Policy Review

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Major Official Population Statistics of Hong Kong

• published by the Census and Statistics Department
  of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Census Report
• Hong Kong Bi-census Report
• Hong Kong Population Projection
• Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics
• Demographic Trends in Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Social and Economic Trends

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Tutorial Schedule

• Date Topic
• Tutorial 1 4th February Briefing session
• 5th February
• Tutorial 2 18th February World Population
  Issues Past, Present and Future
• 19th February
• Tutorial 3 25th February Fertility and
  related problems (1)
• 4th March
• Tutorial 4 3rd March Fertility and related
  problems (2)
• 11th March
• Tutorial 5 10th March Mortality and related
  problems
• 18th March
• Tutorial 6 17th March Migration and related
  problems