BIODEMOGRAPHY
cod. 14826

Academic year 2012/13
3° year of course - First semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Antropologia (BIO/08)
Field
Attività formative affini o integrative
Type of training activity
Related/supplementary
47 hours
of face-to-face activities
6 credits
hub: -
course unit
in - - -

Integrated course unit module: BIODEMOGRAPHICS AND COMPUTER SKILLS

Learning objectives

Demographic processes are often the final outcome resulting from the combination of individual behaviors and biological constraints. The course aims at giving students the theoretical and methodological basis of the relationship between biology and demography. Along with the key concepts of population genetics, the course will also describe the demographic methodologies based on individual and aggregate quantitative analysis of demographic mechanisms.

Prerequisites

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Course unit content

Introduction. 1. Fu8ndamentals of demography: concepts of rate and probability; period and cohort; life tables. 2. Biological basis of demographic behaviors. 3. The concept of isolate. 4. Fertility between biology and personal choices. Age at reproduction. Intermediate determinants of fertility: length of reproductive life, fecundability, intra-uterine mortality, sterility, breastfeeding. Sex ratio at birth. Birth control and abortion; relationship between climate and fertility. 5. Selection and survival. Infant mortality; differential mortality by gender; Old age and population aging. Epidemics 6. Nuptiality and the importance of marriage in biodemographic studies 7. Migrations: history and characteristics of human migrations. Migration and genetics. 8. Surnames as analytic tool in biodemography: isonymy, migration, similarity between populations, etc.

Full programme

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Bibliography

M. Livi Bacci, Introduzione alla demografia. Loescher, Turin.

F. Facchini, Evoluzione, uomo e ambiente. UTET, Turin.

Teaching methods

The course is based on lectures.

Assessment methods and criteria

Oral exam

Other information

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