In order to understand and relate to people we need to consider the 'populations' that they come from. This course will provide an indepth reflection of contemporary population trends in developed and developing countries and enable students to critically examine the causes and consequences of population change.
Students will require a basic understanding of Demography. They will be required to critically appraise data and evaluate and assess factors influencing population size including detailed investigation of the effects of births, deaths and migration.
This course will emphasize the importance of investigating the demographics of the society in which you are working. This will provide you with detailed knowledge and insight into how to relay and adapt the gospel message.
Gods first command to Adam and Eve was to "be fruitful and increase in number, multiply on the earth and increase upon it" (Genesis 9:v7). We will explore how birth control and government legislation affects birth rates and the impact that this has on demographic trends.
The course will enable students to assess the demographics of their missional area and enable them to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16 v15) in a manner appropriate to that culture/society.
Investigating contemporary demographics will enable students to gain an indepth understanding of the communities in which they reside and to critically appraise how global population aging, urbanisation, economic and environmental factors influence society.
This course will enable students to appreciate the need to live missionally in different cultural interfaces evaluating how population demographics influences the cultural, social and societal influences in communities.
Students will build upon their demographic knowledge to explore economic and environmental change affects demographics in the contect of international political and societal influences, the impact of migration and urbanisation and how these influence social policy and inform health policies.
Students will be required to explore the demographics of their chosen community/society using publically available information. They will be required to critically appraise this information taking into considerations limitations of study design and data collection. They will evaluate the context in which they are or plan to work and explore how this may change in the future.
