Topic 1 (1)

Topic 1: Introduction to Social Demography

  • Definition of Demography

    • The study of size, composition, and distribution of human populations and how these factors change over time.

    • Key elements: fertility, mortality, migration.

  • Demographic History

    • Historical records indicate population enumerations in Babylon (before 3800 B.C.), China (about 3000 B.C.), and Egypt (circa 2500 B.C.).

    • Ancient Greece and Rome conducted population counts for governance and taxation purposes.

Global Population Distribution (2000)

  • Regional Populations

    • Europe: 25% (1900) to 14% (2000)

    • Asia: 60% (2000)

    • Africa: 4.5% (2000) to 10% (projected)

    • Latin America and Caribbean: 8% (2000)

    • North America: 5% (2000)

Definitions Related to Demography

  • Demography

    • Derived from Greek: (dēmos) "people" and (graphia) "write or record."

    • Fundamental to understanding human populations and their ecological context.

  • Demographic Characteristics

    • Traits describing a population: gender, age, ethnicity, language, disabilities, etc.

    • Collected via demographic statistics through censuses or special investigations.

  • Social Demography

    • Uses demographic data to describe and predict social phenomena.

    • Differentiates from formal demography, emphasizing social-status impacts on population.

Development of Social Demography

  • Emergence as Academic Discipline

    • Originated in the U.S. during the latter half of the 20th century.

    • Term "social demography" coined by Kingsley Davis in 1963.

    • Key publications: "Social Demography" (1970) by Thomas Ford and Gordon DeJong; first social demography conference in 1975.

Historical Context of Demographic Studies

  • Census Data

    • Early census documented population and social characteristics for governance.

    • Examples: Babylonians, Chinese, Egyptians; ancient Greeks and Romans.

  • Registration Data

    • Systematic recording of vital events began in the Middle Ages; focused on nobility initially.

    • Henry VIII mandated parish records in 1538.

Basic Concepts in Demography

  • Fertility Concept

    • Crude Birth Rate (CBR): Total births divided by midyear population, expressed per thousand. Formula: b = 1000 * (B/P).

    • Age-Specific Fertility Rate (ASFR): Total births to women age i during the year divided by total women age i. Expressed per thousand: asfr_i = 1000 * (B_i/W_i).

    • Total Fertility Rate (TFR): Sum of age-specific fertility rates multiplied by year intervals, divided by 1000.

  • Mortality Concept

    • Crude Death Rate (CDR): Total deaths divided by midyear population, expressed per thousand. Formula: d = 1000 * (D/P).

    • Life Expectancy at Birth (e0): Average years a newborn can expect to live.

  • Migration Concept

    • Migrants: Individuals changing residence (in-migrants and out-migrants).

    • Net Migration: Difference between in-migrants and out-migrants.

Age and Sex Composition

  • Age Pyramid

    • Visual representation illustrating age and sex distribution in a population.

    • Provides insights into historical trends of fertility, mortality, and migration.

Population Growth and Transition

  • Population Growth Concept

    • Change in population = births - deaths + net migration: delta P = B - D + I - O.

    • Doubling time approximated by T2 = 72/r, where r is the annual growth rate.

  • Demographic Transition Model

    • Represents transition from high birth and death rates to low rates.

    • Stages: High, Early Expansion, Late Expansion, Low Stationary.