The Chinese case: fertility and migration in the Chinese demographic policy. Causes, consequences, evolution and future prospects.
Pension systems: typology, characteristics and the influence of the structure of the population, with special focus on developed countries. How to make a pay-as-you-go pension system (almost) immune from demographic (ageing) and economic variations.
1) One-child policy (mimeo, in Moodle)
(A/N Copied from Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-child_policy, which is worth looking at because it contains a dynamic pyriamid of the chinese population. Do NOT use the Italian version, which is too short and insufficient)
2) WANG Feng, CAI Yong, SHEN Ke, GIETEL-BASTEN Stuart (2018) Is Demography Just a Numerical Exercise? Numbers, Politics, and Legacies of China’s One-Child Policy. Demography 55(2): 693-719 (shortened version available in Moodle)
3) QIN Yu, WANG Fei (January 3, 2018) 30 years of experience of the two-child policy in Yicheng, China, N-IUSSP,
http://www.niussp.org/article/30-years-of-experience-of-the-two-child-policy/#more-2353 (available in Moodle)
4) Wang Feng, Yong Cai, Shen Ke, Zhu Qin, Shen Jie (2019) One City, Three Peoples: Migration, Immigration and the Making of Global Shanghai
Paper Prepared for the Conference on Immigration and the Transformation of Chinese Society, University of Manchester, April 25-26.
(available in Moodle)
5) G. De Santis (2006) Previdenza: a ciascuno il suo?, Bologna, Il Mulino. (Not in moodle)
Learning Objectives
a) Understand how populations evolve (dynamics and time scales) and the complexity of their connections with society at large. The focus is on two themes: the One-Child Policy in China (causes, history and consequences) and pension systems;
b) Be capable of considering simultaneously the various sides of the matter when contrasting interests are at play.
c) Know how to communicate demographic concepts, both simple and complex ones, with a special focus on the use of tables and graphs.
Prerequisites
Know how to read and interpret simple tables and graphs.
Teaching Methods
Lectures, seminars
Further information
Part of the teaching material to be found in Moodle (https://e-l.unifi.it/). Students with specific needs may contact the teacher.
Type of Assessment
Written examination only, with open questions, on both theoretical issues and practical problems. Same for all students, including those who did not attend classes. Variations are possible (and in this case students will be timely informed), but the standard practice is as follows: 12 questions must be answered in 90 minutes; each correct answer gives 3 grades (max=36 grades overall). No books or external text can be consulted (except those given at the moment of the examination); (own) calculators may be used. Additional oral examination possible in special cases, to be decided by the teacher.
Course program
Module 1
1.a) Summary of some basic demographic concepts, with particular focus on fertility and migration. Study of demographic dynamics (growth rates) and structural population changes (aging).
1.b) A brief demographic history of China, 1950 to today.
1.c) The Chinese One-Child demographic policy: when it was adopted, why, and what it produced in practice. How to solve the conflict between individual desires and collective needs?
1.d) After the one-child policy: the current demographic situation in China and the prospects for its future.
Module 2
2.a) Basic demographic concepts - especially the life table (refresher).
2.b) Pensions systems and their demographic, economic and cultural basis. Main and ancillary objectives of modern pension systems. How to set them up and to protect them from economic, demographic and policy variations.
2.c) The Italian social security system: short history and current situation.