Course Description
The distribution of world population and an introduction to population data and to basic demographic techniques. Topics include theories of population change, fertility, mortality, migration, population policy, and population-environment relationships.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Term paper, additional weekly readings.
Athena Title
Population Geography
Prerequisite
GEOG 1101 or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course is designed to acquaint the student with the essentials of population study from a geographer's perspective. Students will learn where to obtain pertinent data and how to analyze it in a meaningful way with maps and statistics. Further, the course will include theoretical issues and reasons underlying population change and distribution, as well as government policies which may alter population trends. Relative to practical applications, you will become familiar with techniques which can be used for government planning, business marketing, and for other purposes. This course meets the following General Education Abilities by accomplishing the specific learning objectives listed below: Communicate effectively through writing. This is met by a series of writing assignments associated with supplemental reading and data analysis. Communicate effectively through speech. This is met by oral presentations, discussion leading, and classroom participation. Critical Thinking is central to the learning objectives of this class, and is developed through homework assignments, lecture, classroom discussion, and inquiry- based learning efforts. Moral Reasoning (Ethics) is an important element of this course, as it explores issues of carrying capacity and quality of life, population pressure on natural resources, and ethical aspects of trans-national migrations. Moral reasoning is developed through lectures, writing assignments, classroom discussion, and inquiry- based learning activities.
Topical Outline
Introduction: The Fields of Geography and Population The Spatial Distribution of Population Data Sources Measures and Indices Population Growth: Trends and Theories Population Estimates and Projections Geographic Aspects of Fertility and Mortality Population Redistribution Internal migration International migration Demographics and Population Composition America’s Changing Population Geography Rapid Growth Counties in the U.S. Depopulating areas in the U.S. Global Population Trends Growth of Mega-cities Rural-Urban Redistribution Population and the Environment World Population: Major Issues for the 21st century