290438 VO Trends and Perspectives of Population Development in the European Union (2008S)

The course gives an introductory summary of the population development in the European Union. The demographic development of the last decades, their causes and consequences will be discussed. The process of the demographic transition in Europe and the population development of selected European states will be described. It will be shown exemplarily which demographic determinants have steered the speed of the population process and how current population trends and structures are shaped by the historical development. Methodic aspects and theoretical explanations regarding three components of the population dynamics (fertility, mortality and migration) will be illustrated. The current demographic patterns will be analyzed and conclusions concerning future population development in the European Union will be drawn. In short, the course impart an understanding of the demographic dynamic in an internationally comparative perspective.