Demography of the Life Course

This seminar provides an overview of the development and current uses of the life course perspective in studies of demographic behaviors, process and change. Cohorts and age-graded patterns of behavior are considered as are the effects of social institutions, opportunity structures, and behavioral preferences all of which determine alternative life course pathways. Family origins and prior life experiences, along with ethnic/racial, gender, and cultural identities are examined as critical factors giving rise to inter-individual differences in demographic behaviors over the life course. The role of biography and agency in decisions about demographic behaviors and actual experiences are considered, as is their relationship to life course pathways, trajectories, and success. Graduate students and advanced Undergraduates with permission.