POPULATION AND SOCIETY
Demography 200 / Sociology 220
University of California, Berkeley, Spring 2003
Welcome to the web page for Demography 200 /
Sociology 220, Population and Society, as taught at the University of California, Berkeley, during
the Spring semester of 2003. The course
meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2-3:30 pm (beginning Tuesday January 21), in 2232
Piedmont Ave., Room 100 (Department of Demography, main seminar room, click
here for a campus map). It is being offered jointly by the Department of Demography and the Department of Sociology. The instructor is Prof. John R. Wilmoth.
OVERVIEW
This new course was inaugurated as part of
the new graduate
program in Sociology and Demography in order to encourage a closer
interdisciplinary examination of topics lying at the intersection of sociology
and demography. In general, the areas
covered in this course will vary depending on the interests of both instructor
and students, and may often be connected to recent events or new directions in
research. The topics chosen for
consideration this year are as follows:
1) Alternative paths
into parenthood (assisted reproductive technologies, surrogacy, adoption,
gay/lesbian couples);
2) Social and demographic inequality (within and between
population, convergence vs. divergence, impacts of globalization);
3) Social policies affecting demographic events (two
examples: pro-natalism, health
promotion); and
4) Future scenarios of social and demographic change
(two examples: population projections,
genetic engineering or “designer babies”).
A complete overview, including information
about logistics, readings, examinations, and other requirements, is contained
in the course syllabus. Since this is new course, some flexibility will be needed in the
selection of readings from week to week.
A list of current readings will be
updated regularly as a means of keeping students informed.
COURSE OUTPUT
The main course requirement for students is
a research project that is developed in stages, leading to a final paper and
oral presentation at the end of the semester (see description in the
syllabus). With the consent of
individual students, these papers will be posted on this website at the end of
the semester.
Another objective for the class as a whole
(and for the instructor in particular) is to produce two documents about the
topics considered during the semester:
(1) an extended reading list
(building on the list contained in the syllabus distributed at the beginning of
the semester), and (2) a collection of potential empirical research questions. The instructor will assemble these lists –
hopefully with plentiful assistance from students over the course of the
semester – and the latest versions will always be available here on the course
website. Finally, we will also collect
a set of links to relevant Internet websites.
LOGISTICS
Students who wish to add the course should note
that it is cross-listed in two departments, and therefore the course number
appears as”C200” (Demography) or “C220” (Sociology) in the Schedule of Classes and
elsewhere. If all slots are filled in
one department, there may still be space under the listing for the other
department. The course content and
requirements are identical in either case.
CONTACT INFORMATION
|
Instructor |
Prof. John Wilmoth |
|
Office Hours |
Wednesday, 3-5 p.m. |
|
Telephone |
510-642-9688 |
|
Email |