Instructions
Completed assignments should be submitted via TurnitIn on Blackboard. The submission
deadline for Coursework is 26 April 2022, 1400 GMT.
There are three questions that have to be answered, each worth a third of the final mark for this coursework.
There is a strict requirement as to formatting of the answers: the answers for each part must fit into one page
of text written with Times New Roman font, size 12, 1.5 spacing and all margins being 2.5cm. This will give
you approximately 1500 words for the text (or 500 for each answer). Up to 10 marks will be deducted for not
following this requirement.
You are also required to produce plots, tables and descriptions of your calculations, which should each be
given numbered titles and included in an appendix. You may also include a bibliography. The appendix and
bibliography do not contribute to the page limit. Do not include additional written answers in the appendix,
only your graphs, tables and workings such as derived measurements.
Step 1: Select two populations
Using the US Bureau International Population database https://www.census.gov/programs
surveys/international-programs/data/tools.htmlselect TWO countriesfor a comparative analysis. One of your
chosen countries should be a population currently with a low population growth rate (less than 1% per year)
and one should be a population experiencing a high population growth rate (above 2%). You can check that in
“Demographic Overview” on the US Census Bureau’s website provided above.
Note: Please read all three separate tasks and check if all required data are available for your chosen countries
on the US Census Bureau’s website, before you start working.
Step 2: Complete the following 3 sections
1. Using the method from workshop 1, produce a population pyramid for each of your chosen countries for
2022. Present your two population pyramids and ONE additional graph that helps you to compare the
structure of the populations. Referring to your charts and the underlying data used to create them,
a) Write a short comparative analysis of the differences in the size and structure of the two populations
b) Discuss how the different structures of the two populations are likely to be influencing the
population growth rates of the two populations
2. Use the same website to source Age Specific Fertility Rates (ASFRs) for your chosen countries in 2022.
a) Use the data to compare fertility behaviour in the two countries. You may use the ASFRs to generate
any additional period measures of fertility you choose (please show the working of any derived
measures in the appendix which can be excluded from the word count). Your answer should include
up to a maximum of TWO graphs. The task is not to explain the background reasons for the
differences but provide a clear description of the differences in period fertility as revealed in your
measures.b) For ONE of your chosen countries, assuming the ASFRs for 2022 stayed constant over the next 20
years, explain how they would be likely to influence the future growth rate and structure of the
population over that period
3. Use the same website to source Infant Mortality Rate and Life Expectancy at birth (for men and women
separately) for ONE of your chosen countries between the years 1990-2022.
a) Use the data to describe the mortality change between 1990 and 2022 in your chosen country. Please
explain how life expectancy is dependent on different ASMRs. Your answer should include up to a
maximum of TWO graphs. As with the fertility task, the aim is not to explain the historical background
for the mortality development but provide a clear description of the mortality change over time.
b) Assuming all ASMRs in your chosen country decreased steadily from 2022 levels over the next 20
years, explain how this would influence the future growth rate and structure of the population over
that period.
Support for Coursework: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and the Assessment Discussion Forum
While this document provides clear guidelines on what you are required to do, please note that a key part of
the challenge of this coursework requires you to make your own decisions and judgements e.g. on exactly
which outputs to present as graphs, and how to answer the specific questions. For this reason, members of
the teaching team can not answer direct questions of this nature.
However, we will provide a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Blackboard. If you have questions
that are not answered by the FAQs that you feel relate to reasonable clarification of the tasks please submit
them to the Assessment Discussion Forum on Blackboard and one of the team will reply. There are a
number of reasons we use the discussion forum for assessment queries rather than emails
a) in the interests of fairness, it ensures all students get to see the replies and clarifications we give relating
to the coursework.
b) it avoids the duplication of mass emails covering the same questions and minimises risk for any
inconsistency that can occur with multiple individual replies from more than one member of staff
c) with such a large class it provides us with the most efficient way to ensure you get replies to queries in a
timely way (as we all monitor the forum)