Geography Department - Macalester College

Course Description and Objectives: In this introductory population geography course we explore the core components of population change, fertility, mortality and migration, in the context of current and historical population debates. Contemporary global population issues will provide the lens through which we begin to develop an understanding of the historical and, possibly, future population trends and debates. Directed exercises help students acquire the skills to measure and evaluate population structure and composition and independent projects allow the application of these skills to geographic areas of greatest interest to the individual student. The objectives of this course are twofold: 1) to u nderstand the current spatial patterns of global human population distribution and how the primary components of population change (fertility, mortality and migration) differentially affect world regions; (2) to acquire a working knowledge of the data and methods used by population geographers to describe and analyze changes in human populations and the skills to effectively apply these concepts.