Population development in modern Europe - MD360P85

• Title: Population development in modern Europe
• Czech title: Populační vývoj v moderní Evropě
• Guaranteed by: Department of Demography and Geodemography (31-360)
• Faculty: Faculty of Science
• Actual: from 2025
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 4
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:0/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unlimited
• Min. number of students: 5
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Note: enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Mgr. Věra Slováková, Ph.D.; RNDr. Mgr. Olga Kurtinová, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): RNDr. Mgr. Olga Kurtinová, Ph.D.; Mgr. Věra Slováková, Ph.D.

Annotation

This subject provides a comprehensive overview of European demographic changes from the pre-modern era through to the post-1945 period. The course begins by establishing foundational demographic concepts, terminology, and methodologies. It then delves into the characteristics of pre-modern European populations before exploring the significant transformations across the "long nineteenth century". The syllabus further examines the profound demographic impacts of the two World Wars and the interwar period, concluding with an analysis of population developments in Europe after 1945.


Teaching methods:
Reading, work with historical sources, discussion, pair work, lectures.

Last update: Kurtinová Olga, RNDr. Mgr., Ph.D. (13.08.2025)

Literature

COLEMAN, David. 2004. Why we don't have to believe without doubting in the" second demographic transition"—some agnostic comments. Vienna yearbook of population research, 2: 11-24. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23025433.

KERTZER, David I. a BARBAGLI, Marzio. The History of the European Family. Vol. 1., Family life in early modern times 1500-1789. New Haven: Yale University Press, c2001. ISBN 0-300-08971-6.

KERTZER, David I. a BARBAGLI, Marzio. The History of the European Family. Vol. 2., Family life in the long nineteenth century 1789-1913. New Haven: Yale University Press, c2002. ISBN 0-300-09090-0.

KERTZER, David I. a BARBAGLI, Marzio. The History of the European Family. Vol. 3., Family life in the twentieth century. New Haven: Yale University Press, c2003. ISBN 0-300-09494-9.

KOHLER, Hans‐Peter; BILLARI, Francesco C.; ORTEGA, José Antonio. 2002.The emergence of lowest‐low fertility in Europe during the 1990s. Population and development review, 28.4: 641-680. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2002.00641.x

LESTHAEGHE, Ron. 2014.The second demographic transition: A concise overview of its development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111.51: 18112-18115. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1420441111.

LESTHAEGHE, Ron. 2020. The second demographic transition, 1986–2020: sub-replacement fertility and rising cohabitation—a global update. Genus, 76: 1-38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41118-020-00077-4

LIVI BACCI, Massimo. A concise history of world population. London: Blackwell, 1992. ISBN 1-55786-270-2.

LIVI BACCI, Massimo. The population of Europe: a history. Oxford: Blackwell, 1999. ISBN 0-631-21881-5.

MACKENBACH, Johan P. A History of Population Health: Rise and Fall of Disease in Europe. 101. Leiden ; Boston: BRILL, 2020. ISBN 9789004425828. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004429130.

MITTERAUER, Michael a SIEDER, Reinhard. The european family: patriarchy to partnership from the middle ages to the present. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1983. ISBN 0-631-12913-8.

ROTHENBACHER, Franz. The European population, 1850-1945. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. ISBN 0-333-77705-0.

ROTHENBACHER, Francz. 2005. The Societies of Europe. The European Population since 1945. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-77706-9. 

SOVIC, Silvia; THANE, Pat; VIAZZO, Pier Paolo a ALFANI, Guido. The history of families and households: comparative European dimensions. Leiden, [Netherlands]: Brill, 2016. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuni/detail.action?docID=4181206

ROWLAND, Donald T. 2003. Demographic Methods and Concepts. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198752636.

Last update: Kurtinová Olga, RNDr. Mgr., Ph.D. (13.08.2025)

Requirements to the exam

Active participation in seminars, regular homework, final test.

Last update: Kurtinová Olga, RNDr. Mgr., Ph.D. (13.08.2025)

Syllabus

1. What is demography - basic terminology, methodology, concepts

2. Populations of pre-modern Europe

3. The long nineteenth century I

4. The long nineteenth century II

5. Two world wars and period inbetween 

6. Europe after 1945

Last update: Kurtinová Olga, RNDr. Mgr., Ph.D. (13.08.2025)

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of "Population Development in Modern Europe," students will be able to:

• Define and apply fundamental demographic terminology, methodologies, and concepts relevant to population studies.

• Describe and analyze the demographic characteristics and trends of pre-modern European populations.

• Identify and explain key demographic shifts and their underlying causes throughout the "long nineteenth century" in Europe.

• Evaluate the impact of the two World Wars and the interwar period on European population dynamics and structures.

• Analyze and discuss the major population developments and challenges in Europe from 1945 onwards.

Last update: Kurtinová Olga, RNDr. Mgr., Ph.D. (13.08.2025)