Sex, Gender and Population

This course will examine how sex and gender are conceptualized, empirically researched, and interpreted in population studies. An empirical dichotomisation of “sex” into male and female is often central to population research, and demographic indicators of fertility, family dynamics, migration, population health, and mortality tend to differ between men and women. But what do demographers mean when they talk about sex difference? How do their concepts of sex and gender overlap with those from other disciplines, such as sociology? How do they deal with non-binary gender identities? Which sex differences exist in population processes and how are they being explained? And how are sex differences in demographic processes linked with gender inequalities in other areas of society? We will explore answers to these questions and develop a ‘gendered’ understanding of a variety of issues in population studies.