Summer course 2014 in Historical Demography

The course “Historical demographic research using register type data” was held in Lund in August 11-22, 2014. It attracted 19 participants from 12 different countries. Lecturers were Tommy Bengtsson, Martin Dribe, Jonas Helgertz and Luciana Quaranta, and Björn Eriksson assisted during exercises, all members of the CED.

The course provided theoretical training and a complete hands-on approach to working in historical demography: designing research questions, and creating datasets to test research hypotheses. Students used the Scanian Economic Demographic Database (SEDD) throughout the course.

Methods and theories of historical demography were examined by focusing on different topics: sources and methods, SEDD, life tables, social stratification, survival analysis, mortality, marriage and fertility, long-term impacts of early life conditions, short-term impacts of economic stress and building episodes tables.

Each topic consisted of theoretical lectures and applied labs that focused on data management and model estimations. The students were given individual exercises on each topic. They also worked with a group project based on a research area of their choice, which was aimed at making an empirical historical demographic analysis using micro-level individual data from the SEDD.

Below:

Lecturers and students at the CED Summer Course 2014 in Historical Demography