Final Review (Chapter 8-13):
Age and Sex structure
How to measure age and sex structure: median age, dependency ratio, sex ratio, population pyramid
How the age/sex structure change over time (dynamics): concept of stable population, stationary
population, population momentum, population projection; age stratification and cohort flow
Baby boom generation: sheer size leads to change in life style, future pressure for the government
Aging: social and biological aspect, how social status change with aging, modernization leads to lower
status of the elderly, how population aging affect the sex and age structure
Household Structure
A few concepts: household vs. family, nuclear households vs extended households, family household vs
non-family households
Recent changes in household structure in the U.S.; underlying demographic factors for the change; and
social impact of the change in household structure.
Urbanization
What is urbanization?
Global pattern of urbanization; characteristics of urbanization in development countries
A few concepts: rank-size rule, primate city, primacy
Suburbanization in the U.S., and social impact
Population and economic development, food, the environment
What is economic development vs. economic growth? How to measure economic development?
Three camps have very different views on the relationship
How to reconcile the three views?
Food: debate on distribution and production;
Main methods to improve food production (intensification, extensification, food engendering)
How to distribute food
Environment: ecological footprint, sustainable development
Cost of intensification and extensification
Cost of economic development
How to assess the role of population on environment degradation (two equations)
Population policy
What is population policy?
How can you use a set of policy to achieve certain demographic goal?
History of family planning in China? Social and demographic impact of one-child policy?
Cope with change
What has the world and the U.S. done to cope with the population change?
What should the world and the U.S. do to cope with the change?