Theories of Population

Bimal Antony &

Chinnu Jaison1st MSWSchool of Social Work

Introduction

Population is the collection of people or organisms of a particular species living in a given geographic area.

Population growth is the increase in the number of members of a population over a given time. A typical time frame for calculating growth is yearly.

The Theories

MalthusModern Theory of PopulationCornucopianBogueCattonBoserupClub of Rome

Definition:

A cornucopian Is someone who believes that continued progress and provision of material items for mankind can be met by advances in technology.

Cornucopian

Cornucopian Contd…

They believe that there is enough matter and energy on the Earth to support the peaking growth of the population

They believe that outer-space will give humanity almost unlimited room for growth.

There is no historical evidence that society will run out of resources.

Faith in the human ability to find technological innovations to carry the increased capacity of the human population.

The population grows only in response to the Earth’s ability to support a larger population.

Over time, society naturally limits or increases its population

Theory of demographic regulation

Bogue

Is an expansion on the Malthus view

Phantom Carrying Capacity: is when the population is using non-renewable resources that while they sustain the current generation, will not be enough for the next to survive.

This is directly related to the Overshoot theory.

William Catton believes that Earth’s carry capacity has exceeded at the expense of environmental damage.

Catton

An overshoot condition occurs when the population growth rate exceeds the planets carrying capacity. At this point, the population will start to die out and eventually even out with the carrying capacity again.

The biggest problem with this situation is that the actual carrying capacity will be significantly decreased due to the planets environmental damage.

Catton Contd…

Boserup

Population growth has enabled agricultural development to occur

People will find ways to increase the production of food by increasing workforce, machinery, fertilizers, etc.

Fertility of land will be maintained when population is low

Changes in technology helped in developing high yield crops

Club of Rome

Founded in April 1968 by Aurelio Peccei, an Italian scholar and industrialist, and Alexander King, a Scottish scientist

Published the book ‘The Limits to Growth’ in 1972

If present growth trends in the world continue, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached sometime in the next 100 years

The result will be sudden and uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity

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References