Date due: Tutorial – Week 4 (Friday 20 March)

Word length:

Internal: 10 pages per group, including figures (approx 2,000 words) plus presentation

External: 5 pages, including figures  (approx 1,000 words)

Submission (internal students):

Hard copy of reports submitted in tutorials (no Turnitin)

PowerPoints to be emailed to Kristian by 11am on Friday 20 March

Submission (external students):

Email report to Kristian by 5pm Friday 20 March

Topic: Students will work in small groups to produce a population profile of a sub-national region. The case study sites could be:

• Two Suburbs within Sydney (Tutorial 1)

• Greater Capital City Statistical Area (Tutorial 2)

• NSW Statistical Local Areas Level 4 (Tutorial 3)

• States (Tutorial 4)

The profile should explore the current demographic situation and could cover such attributes as:

- population size and distribution

   - age-sex structure

     - birth and death rates

- ethnic composition

    - labour force characteristics

     - socio-economic composition

In addition, the profile could also explore some of the major changes that have occurred in population over the past decade or so (e.g. rapid growth/decline, changing age or ethnic composition).

Each profile should also include at least 1 map and 1 graph/table which aid in illustrating the profile of the area.

Groups should critically evaluate the data available (i.e. what are the positives/negatives/challenges/limitations of the data?).

Each group will be required to give a 5-7 minute presentation on their case study in their tutorial (3-4 slides)

Internal students: Students in each group will receive the same mark. If you have concerns over the contribution of individual group members please contact Kristian (the earlier the better!).

External students: Kristian will email each external student their case study location at the beginning of Week 3. As external students will be working by themselves they are not required to do a presentation.

Students have two options to choose from. Students must indicate which individual tutorial paper they intend to complete in the tutorial in Week 3. External students should email their selection to Kristian.

Option 1 – Asian Population issues: media analysis and population forum

Date due: Week 6 (Thursday 2 April - due to Good Friday Public Holiday)

Word length: 1,500 words

Submission (internal and external students):

Email report to Kristian by 5pm Thursday 2 April 

The tutorial paper should include two parts: Part 1: Media Analysis and Part 2: Policy Analysis. To avoid repetition, countries will be allocated by Kristian at the beginning of Week 4 (3 weeks before due date).

Part 1 (approx. 750 words)

Students should survey population issues being covered in newspapers in countries in Asia. See tutorial instructions on ilearn for more details (Week 5).

In your review you should try and discern any patterns in the material (e.g. an emphasis on a particular topic, particular views being espoused, etc). A typical structure could be:

• Outline the country/newspaper explored
• Provide an overview of the main population issues being covered in the media
• Discuss whether you think the issues are being reported in a neutral fashion or if particular political/social/cultural biases are being represented
• Relate how your findings relate to material covered in the lectures

You are required to find at least 4 newspaper articles associated with population issues (references will need to be provided). Try and find articles published in the last 3 years.

Part 2 (approx. 750 words)

Students should develop a short policy brief for the Minister for Population for a selected Asian country. The policy brief should be in the form of a brief report which outlines the country’s main population features, issues/problems and policies. This section should draw on data illustrating some of the population characteristics of the country (population growth, distribution, birth rate, mortality, health, age and sex structure, ethnic composition, employment, migration, urbanisation, etc) and make links with other policy areas (eg health, economy, immigration).

Parts 1 and 2 can either be completed separately or combined into a single report as long as all aspects of the assessment are addressed.

Option 2 – Australian Population Debate

Date due: Tutorial – Week 12 (Friday 29 May)

Word length: 1,500 words (plus presentation for internal students)

Submission (internal students):          

Hard copy of reports submitted in tutorials (no Turnitin)

PowerPoints to be emailed to Kristian by 11am on Friday 29 May

Submission (external students):

Email report to Kristian by 5pm Friday 29 May

Students who choose to complete Option 2 will be allocated to one side of the population debate (Affirmative or Negative) by Kristian at the beginning of week 10 (3 weeks before due date).

Debate topic: "That Australia is dangerously under-populated"

     - Affirmative (agree that Australia is under-populated)

     - Negative (disagree that Australia is dangerously under-populated)

Each student is required to submit a tutorial paper outlining the main points for or against (depending on which side of the debate you are allocated) the fact that Australia is currently under-populated. In your paper you should refer to issues associated with immigration (increased vs decreased), fertility (increased vs stable vs decreased) and mortality (issues of ageing) – all aspects of the population balancing equation! You can draw on newspaper, other media reports, reports from Government Department and industry, as well as academic publications.

Internal students will be required to present to the class their main findings/points in their Week 12 tutorial.  The presentations will be used to facilitate a broader "class debate"

Students have two options to choose from. Students must indicate which written assignment they intend to complete in the tutorial in Week 3. External Students should email their selection to Kristian.

Option 1 - Research Exercise

Date due: 11am Friday 24 April (Week 7)

Word length: 2,500 words plus maps

Submission (internal and external students):                      

Reports (including coversheet) must be submitted to Turnitin before 11am (link available on ENVG219 ilearn page). Late submissions should be submitted to the "late submissions" link.

Topic: Using the country figures in the 2014 World Population Data Sheet (found in the Research Exercise folder in ilearn):

        (a) map

        (b) describe and

        (c) attempt to explain the geographic patterning of total fertility rates across Asia.

• Do not include the countries of Western Asia in your analysis.
• For your map(s), use the choropleth technique. Notes on choropleth mapping and examples of the technique can be found in the Research Exercise folder on the ENVG219 ilearn site. The mapping process does not use GIS – rather you are expected to create the maps yourself (i.e. colour them in). While not overly sophisticated(!), this method gives you a better ‘feel’ for the data and the process of choropleth mapping. Two methods are suggested:
  • ​Method 1: you can print out the pdf maps of Asia available on ilearn and colour them in by hand.
  • Method 2: a jpeg file (Asia map) is also available on ilearn. This file can be opened in MS Paint (or similar programs) and coloured in using the 'fill with colour' tool. To help you, I have started a legend with 6 categories - you don't need to use all 6 for your maps. Use the 'text' tool to complete the map.
• There is no set number of maps required. The number of maps and the data you choose to map should illustrate factors influencing total fertility rates (you will not receive extra marks for creating lots of maps!)
• Your description section should explore the spatial differences/patterning of various data across the region. This description should be used as a basis of your explanation.
• For the explanation part of the exercise you should draw on some of the social and economic variables in the Asia Population Data file, plus reading on the topic. What are the drivers of female life expectancy? Some of the references in the Lecture Reading List will help. Google Scholar/database searches will also lead you to useful references.
• Do parts (b) and (c) separately in your submitted paper under the sub-headings of “Description” and “Explanation”.
• Your report should include a brief introduction and conclusion.
• The weightings for the various parts of the assignment are as follow:

            o   (a) maps - 5 marks

            o   (b) description - 10 marks

            o   (c) explanation - 15 marks.

Option 2 - Essay Assignment

Date due:  11am Friday 15 May (Week 10)

Word length: 3,000 words

Submission (internal and external students):                      

Essays (including coversheet) must be submitted to Turnitin before 11am (link available on ENVG219 ilearn page). Late submissions should be submitted to the "late submissions" link.

Write an essay on the following topic: 

                      “Migration is the critical population issue of our time”

                      Critically discuss this statement, illustrating your answer with reference to the Asia-Pacific region.

Your essay could explore:

• Definitions, types and scales of migration across the Asia-Pacific region
• Difference between male/female
• Differences between skilled/unskilled
• Data on migration across the region
• Policies and politics of migration
• Positives and negatives impacts of migration on individuals, communities and countries (of origin and receiving).
• The impact migration has on other aspects of the population system (e.g. fertility, mortality, ageing)

Note: the essay should not repeat material covered in lectures, but provide a detailed discussion of immigration in individual locations. Your essay should explore how the impact of immigration is dependent on the unique (geographical, social, cultural, political, and economic) characteristics of individual countries and regions.

A series of tasks will be completed in tutorials in Weeks 2, 7, 8, 9 & 10. Students who complete these tasks will receive 1 mark per week.

Internal students are required to submit their task at the completion of their tutorial in these weeks.

External students are required to email their tasks to Kristian by Friday of Weeks 2, 7, 8, 9 & 10. 

The tutorial tasks will be posted on ilearn 1 week before they are due.

Overall attendance at/contribution to tutorials will be taken into consideration when allocating final grades.

A two hour examination will be held in the examination period at the end of session. Students will be required to complete two essays based on the lecture and tutorial program. Students will be given the opportunity to select the essay topics from six options. Previous examination papers are available from the Library.