Demography: Key Terms for Population Dynamics (Lecture 3)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key demography terms, concepts, and indicators from the lecture notes.

Demography

The study of populations, including size, growth, distribution, structure, and the processes (births, deaths, migration) that change them.

Population size

The number of people in a population; a basic population concept indicator.

Population growth or decline

The change in population size over time due to births, deaths, and net migration.

Population processes

The mechanisms that change population size: births, deaths, and net migration.

Population distribution

How people are spread across geographic areas.

Population structure

The composition of a population by age and sex.

Population concept indicator

Measures used to describe population, such as number of people and median age; reflects population characteristics.

Independent Variable (IV)

A variable that precedes and explains or influences the dependent variable in a relationship.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The outcome variable that is influenced or explained by the independent variable.

Unit of Analysis

The level at which data are analyzed (e.g., individuals, small groups, communities, or the globe).

Categorical variable

A variable that takes on categories with no inherent order (e.g., sex, state, political affiliation).

Ordinal variable

A variable with ordered categories (e.g., education level: 0-8 years, high school, some college).

Continuous variable

A numeric variable that can take an infinite number of values (e.g., age, income).

Non-Demographic Variable

A variable from another discipline (economic, geographic, health, etc.) used in analyses with demographic data.

Non-Demographic Discipline Indicator

Examples of non-demographic indicators such as unemployment rate and median wages.

Demographic Variable

A population-related variable (IV or DV) such as fertility rate, mortality, migration, density, or age structure.

Indicator

A measure used to express the magnitude or change of a concept within population statistics (e.g., births, deaths, migration).

Positive relationship

As the independent variable increases, the dependent variable tends to increase.

Negative relationship

As the independent variable increases, the dependent variable tends to decrease.

Formal Demography

The study where demographic variables serve as both IVs and DVs in demographic-to-demographic relationships.

Social Demography

The study of relationships between demographic and non-demographic variables; non-demographic variables can be DV or IV.

Applied Demography

Using demographic methods and data to solve real-world problems (e.g., market segmentation, workforce projections, policy analysis).

Public Demography

Communicating population information and analysis to nonspecialists; presenting to the public (web, blogs, podcasts, speeches).

Index of dissimilarity

A measure of residential segregation between groups, ranging from 0 (no segregation) to 100 (complete segregation).

American Community Survey (ACS)

A source of detailed demographic, social, and economic data used in demographic analysis.

Fertility rate

The rate at which births occur in a population; often summarized as the total fertility rate (TFR).

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime given current age-specific fertility rates.

Median age

The age that divides a population into two equal halves; a key demographic indicator.

Homeownership rate

The percentage of households that own their home.

Unemployment rate

The percentage of the labor force that is unemployed.