Chapter 14: Population and Urbanization Living on Spaceship Earth Soc 100 Dr. Santos.
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Transcript of Chapter 14: Population and Urbanization Living on Spaceship Earth Soc 100 Dr. Santos.
Chapter 14: Population and Urbanization
Living on Spaceship Earth
Soc 100 Dr. Santos
Introductory terms
Demography- the study of human populations Population- all permanent societies, states, communities,
adherents of a common religious faith, racial or ethnic groups, kinship or clan groups, professions, and other identifiable categories of people
Population momentum- the continued growth of a population even if birth rates per couple drop because the number of women of child bearing age is still very high
Below population replacement levels- population size may eventually drop because fewer people are being born than are dying
Urbanization- the movement of populations to cities
Historic and current patterns of population growth Result from:
Human adaptation in thinking and innovation over millenia in order to survive
The agricultural revolution ~ 10K years The industrial revolution ~ 250 years
Improved health and sanitation measures ~ 100 years
Population growth
Age and sex impact individuals’ positions in society and population growth/decline
Dependency ratio- the number of people under age 15 and over age 64 to the number between 15 and 64
The sex ratio- the ratio of males to females in the population
Determines how many women are eligible to give birth and the number of potential spouses
Population pyramids- a visual depiction of sex and dependency ratios
Explaining population growth
Malthusian theory - humans are driven to reproduce and population will increase exponentially unless checks are imposed
Since population increases geometrically but food supplies only increase arithmetically food shortages will result
“Positive checks” on population- wars, diseases, food shortages and famines
Malthus also suggested delayed marriage and abstinence until one could afford a family
Main criticisms of Malthus New agricultural techniques allowed food production to
increase geometrically Malthus did not realize that contraception was a
possibility Poverty does not inevitably result from population
growth - capitalism is a big part of it. Malthus ignored the consumption patterns of
industrialized nations and just blamed the scarcity of resources on the rapid population growth of poor developing nations.
Explaining population growth
Neo-Malthusians - added contraception to Malthus’ suggestions and acknowledged that corporate pollution and Western consumption is to blame for many societal problems worldwide.
Demographic transition theory - countries are believed to go through three stages of population, from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates.
Stages in the demographic transition theory Stage 1- high births, high deaths; pre-industrial, non-urban
societies; births may outpace deaths until disaster occurs Stage 2- high births, declining deaths; less-developed
countries; improvements in health, sanitation, and food availability
Stage 3- low births, low deaths; industrial and post-industrial; mostly small, nuclear families
Demographic transition theory fails to consider: Age at marriage Contraceptive availability A country’s land and resources Economic models, religious beliefs, and political philosophies
Criticism: Assumes that modernization between stages 2 and 3 result in rational choice about family size
Explaining population growth Wealth flow theory - two strategies operate in
decisions about family size (wealth flow from parents to children and vice versa)
When wealth flows from parents to children, family sizes are smaller
When children are working for their parents, family sizes are larger
Conflict theory - social and structural factors built into the economic system are the cause of poverty Capitalist structures result in wealth for capitalists and create
relative “overpopulation” and absolute poverty for workers Socialist societies, through planning, can absorb population
growth; all can find jobs as the system expands to include them
Policy implications of population patterns and economic development Since economic prosperity is a political goal,
population policies depend upon whether the government feels that population growth is good or bad for the economy
Population can be reduced by improved sex education, access to contraceptives, and providing opportunities for citizens (especially women) to obtain jobs and education; it can also be increased by immigration, safety net, pro-family laws
Meso-level analysis: Institutional influence on population change Terms
Size - overall number of people Composition- make-up of the population, including sex
ratio, age distribution, and religious or ethnic representation in the population
Distribution- density or concentration in various portions of the land
Demographic processes that affect population Fertility- birth rate Mortality- death rate Migration- movement of people from one place to another
Factors affecting fertility rates Governmental
Pro-natalist policies- policies that encourage fertility
Anti-natalist policies-policies that discourage fertility
Religious and cultural norms Education (especially for women) Economic Model & Policies
Mortality rates and national health care organizations Infant mortality rates are indicators of a
country’s status in the world Differences caused by national exploitation,
poverty, poor health care, malnutrition, etc. Even in the United States, minorities, those
under 18, unmarried, the poor, and less-educated women have less access to prenatal care => higher i.m.r.
Migration: Why and where people move
Push-pull theory- some people are pushed by their original locations by wars, plagues, famine, political or religious conflicts, economic crises, or other factors, and pulled to new locations by economic opportunities or political and religious tolerance
Internal migration- movement within a country
Rural to urban common Rates are high in the U.S. because of pull
migration
International migration- movement from one country to another
Often influenced by political unrest, discrimination, or environmental conditions as well as economic conditions
Has been tightly controlled in western countries recently, but illegal immigration still common
Urbanization: Movement from rural to urban areas Urbanization accompanies:
Modernization- transformation from traditional, mostly agrarian societies, to contemporary bureaucratized states
Industrialization- transformation from an agricultural base and handmade goods to manufacturing industries
Most people live in communities (locations that provide residents with a place to live; a sense of identity and belonging; neighbors and friends; activities and social involvements; and access to basic necessities such as food, jobs, schools, and health care)
Cities as micro-level living environments Tonnies - two types of community
extremes Gemeinschaft- small, traditional communities;
characterized by families and personal relationships and values
Gesellschaft- large, impersonal urban areas; characterized by formal relationships and contracts and a money economy; isolation
Cities as micro-level living environments Durkheim - two types of social bonds
Mechanical solidarity- shared beliefs, values, and traditions; homogeneity of thought; typical of rural areas and simple societies Order upheld by shared beliefs and values
Organic solidarity- society held together by a specialized division of labor; common in complex societies Order upheld by restitutive law in which individuals make
amends for wrong doing
Life in the city
Urban residential patterns Neighborhoods- identifiable areas within the larger
metropolitan area Meet most of the needs of residents Residents are homogenous with respect to income,
interests, ethnicity or race, etc. High degree of social interaction among residents Symbolic commitment
Suburbs- areas immediately adjacent to the city
Living in cities Simmel - the intensity and stimulation of city life
and the market effects on urban relations—causes city dwellers to be insensitive and avoid intense relationships to protect their privacy
Wirth - urban dwellers develop coping mechanisms for living in high-density, heterogeneous areas, including becoming sophisticated and depersonalizing from others
Fischer - urban life strengthens social groups, promotes diverse subcultures, and encourages intimate social circles among those who share similar activities or traits
How did cities evolve?
The Chicago School theory of urban development- cities grow in a series of circles, moving out from the center. Each circle is dominated by a particular type of activity and residential pattern
The Urban Question and Social Justice and the City theories of urban development- urban space is both socially defined and in scarce supply; therefore, political-economic conflict will arise over how space gets allocated and by whom
Conflict theories of urban development- city problems are a result of domination by elites, creating poverty and exploitation of the poor; urbanization and modernization are a cause of poverty
Types of cities
Urbanized nations- countries in which more than half of the population live in urban areas
Industrial cities- primarily commercial centers motivated by competition
Postindustrial cities- high percentage of employees in the service sector; closely tied to capitalism, global production, and instant exchanges of information
“New Towns”- cities built from scratch by urban planners as economically self‑sufficient entities with all necessary amenities
Gentrification- members of the middle and upper class, mostly young white professionals, buying and renovating rundown properties in central-city neighborhoods
Megacities- cities with over 10 million people Megalopolis- a spatial merging of two or more
cities along major transportation corridors Indigenous cities- traditional cities that usually
predate European ones; centers usually include a bazaar and religious and government buildings
Dual cities- modern westernized "colonial" central cities located next to a traditional, indigenous cities
Urban problems, the environment, and social policy: Macro-level perspectives Rural migrants and overcrowding Environment, infrastructure, and urban
ecosystems Poverty Crime and delinquency
Global trends that will affect urban planning Urbanization will continue Information and transportation technologies allow
for global contact and reduce commitment to certain geographical areas
International boundaries will diminish in importance
Economies will rely on brainwork rather than physical labor
Conflicts between cultural and political groups will continue to affect urban life
McDonaldization- creation of a consumer world dominated by major Western food, music, fashion, and entertainment-- will continue