This survey course introduces students to the important and basic material on human fertility, population growth, the demographic transition and population policy. Topics include: the human and environmental dimensions of population pressure, demographic history; economic and cultural causes of demographic change, environmental carrying capacity and sustainability. Political, religious and ethical issues surrounding fertility: infanticide, abortion, contraception, son preference, government coercion, migration and the status of women. The lectures and readings attempt to balance theoretical and demographic scale analyses with studies of individual humans and communities. The perspective is global with both developed and developing countries included. Controversies on the causes, cures and effects of rapid population growth are also addressed. less