GEOG 5 – Population and Migration

NOTE: The following is an archive of the class material I offered as a Professor at Hofstra University (1999-2024).

Population and migration are two of the major sub-disciplines of geography and both have been receiving increased attention in recent years. The impacts of a growing and ever-more mobile population are realized to an unprecedented extent. This is placing increasing demands upon the earth’s resources.

Migration has been an enduring process throughout history, but the number of people on the move today surpasses previous levels. Most of that movement occurs within countries, but much of it has been and remains international in scale. This renders migration of particular concern to advanced economies such as North America and Europe, where it is a continuous subject of political debate.

The main objectives of the course are:

• Students will be introduced to theoretical and practical concepts of population and migration.
• Students will acquire a sound basis for understanding many issues, controversies, and problems related to those two subject areas.
• Develop a familiarity with the dynamics of population and migration that affect spatial relationships among various parts of our contemporary world.
• Students will understand the fundamental concepts of spatial interaction and diffusion, which explain how human activities are influenced by the concept of distance.

PowerPoint Slides

• Topic 1 – Introduction to Population Geography
• Topic 2 – Population Distribution and Composition
• Topic 3 – Fertility and Mortality (Part A; Part B)
• Topic 4 – Migration and Refugees (Part A; Part B)
• Topic 5 – Population Policy
• Topic 6 – Population and Resources