Brief Introduction to Population Studies

About
● Established in 1988 by T.U. Council
● Since 1990, modestly funded by UNFPA
● Has made significant contributions to population dynamics in
Nepal
● Envisioned to grow as a major research and training centre in
South Asia
Support & Collaboration
● Tribhuvan University: Regular support
● UNFPA funding (1990–2007) for infrastructure
● DFID provided technical assistance via link with CPS, London
● Funding from ILO, World Bank, British Council/DFID for
research & curriculum development
Central Department of
Population Studies
Kirtipur, Kathmandu
1

Central Department of Population Studies
Tribhuvan University
Master of Arts in Population
Studies
“Demography is destiny.”
— Auguste Comte, French philosopher and sociologist
“The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power
in the earth to produce subsistence for man.”
— Thomas Malthus, An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798)
“The propagation of the human species, and the multiplication
of the race, depends not on the amount of subsistence only,
but on the condition in which it is enjoyed.”
— Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations

Studies

Studies
Population studies play a crucial role in achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) by providing data and insights on population
trends, demographics, and their impact on various aspects of sustainable
development.
Understanding these population dynamics is essential for effective planning
and implementation of SDG-related initiatives.

Studies
Demography is the statistical study of human populations, focusing on size, composition, and distribution.
Population studies, on the other hand, take a broader approach, examining the relationships between population dynamics and other social, economic, cultural, and
biological factors.
In essence, demography is a subfield of population studies.
Key Differences:
In Summary:
Demography is the more specialized, statistical study of population dynamics, while population studies offer a broader, more holistic perspective on the population,
considering its relationship with other societal aspects.
Demography vs Population Studies
Aspect Demography Population Studies
Scope Demography focuses on the statistical aspects of population changes
(birth, death, migration)
Population studies explore the broader context of these changes and their
social, economic, and cultural implications.
Focus Examines the structure and composition of a population, including age,
sex, and other characteristics.
Also considers these aspects, but investigates how they interact with other
social and cultural factors.
Methodology Relies heavily on statistical methods and data analysis. Utilizes a wider range of methodologies, including qualitative research and
social theory.

DEMOGRAPHIC CONCEPTS AND THEORIES

Studies
DEMOGRAPHIC CONCEPTS AND THEORIES
Unit I
Introduction to demography
Defining demography as
multidisciplinary
Demography connects the dots
Population actors
Demographic equation
Age-sex composition
Population distribution and
demographic destiny (future
direction)
Unit II
Population and resource
interaction
A. Relationship of population to
resources (food, water, energy,
housing; infrastructure and
environmental degradation)
B. Relationship of population to
social and political dynamics
(global, regional and
local conflicts; globalization and
gender)
Unit III
Demographic perspectives and theories
A. Pre-modern population doctrines
(Ancient Greece; Plato; Confucius; Kautilya; Cicero; Augustine;
Khaldun; Mercantilism; John Graunt; David Hum; Robert
Wallace)
B. Malthusian perspective
(causes and consequences of population growth; avoiding the
consequences; critiques; neo-Malthusians)
C. The Marxian perspective
(causes and consequences of population growth; critiques; neo-
Marxism)
D. The theory of demographic transition
(preclude the demographic transition theory – John Stuart Mill, Arsène
Dumont and Durkheim; theory of demographic transition; critique of
demographic transition theory; reformulation of demographic transition
theory)
E. The theory of the second demographic transition
(health and mortality transition; fertility transition; age transition;
migration transition; urban transition; family and household transition;
impact on local and global society)
F. Demographic change and response – cohort size effects theory
Unit IV
Demographic drivers of age transition
A. The impact of declining mortality
B. The impact of declining fertility
C. Where does migration fit in?
D. Demographic dividends
– age transitions at work
(measuring the age structure;
progression from a young to an old age
structure;
youth bulge – dead end or dividend?)
Unit V
Theories of demographic processes
A. Fertility theories
(Davis and Blake; proximate determinant model and
political
economic theories of Greenhalgh, Caldwell and
Terrell)
B. Mortality theories
(morbidity and mortality in epidemiological transition;
theories
of mortality decline; democide mortality; theoretical
framework for mortality
analysis)
C. Theories of migration – classical
(Ravenstein, Lee, Zipf); human interaction (Todaro)
Unit VI
The social construction of population science
A. Demography as mathematics and modernization; demographic dilemma and
prophylactic practices; creation of field; partial embrace of anthropology;
demography in crisis
B. Future of the planet earth
(ecological, sociological and philosophical
consideration)

Brief Introduction to Population Studies

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