This survey course introduces students to the important and basic material on human fertility, population growth, the demographic transition and population policy.

The lectures attempt to balance theoretical and demographic scale analyses with studies of individual humans and communities. The perspective is global with both developed and developing countries included.

Lectures included in the playlist above:

  1. Introduction
  2. Evolution of Sex and Reproductive Strategies
  3. Sex and Violence Among the Apes
  4. From Ape to Human
  5. When Humans Were Scarce
  6. Why Is Africa Different?
  7. Malthusian Times
  8. Demographic Transition in Europe; Mortality Decline
  9. Demographic Transition in Europe; Fertility Decline
  10. Demographic Transition in Europe
  11. Quantitative Aspects
  12. Low Fertility in Developed Countries
  13. Human and Environmental Impacts
  14. Fertility Attitudes and Practices
  15. Demographic Transition in Developing Countries
  16. Female Disadvantage
  17. Population in Traditional China
  18. Population in Modern China
  19. Economic Impact of Population Growth
  20. Economic Motivations for Fertility
  21. Teen Sexuality and Teen Pregnancy
  22. Global Demography of Abortion
  23. Media and the Fertility Transition in Developing Countries
  24. Biology and History of Abortion
  25. Population and the Environment