Changes in population characteristics - chapter 3

Question 1

What is the BR and DR for African countries?

Answer 1

50 per 1,000 per year.

20 per 1,000 per year.

Question 2

-why does fertility vary-

How is the relationship of the DR important fertility?

Answer 2

Sub-Saharan African countries - high BR to counter high IM.
9 children to be 95% certain of a surviving adult son.
Improved healthcare/sanitation - drop in child mortality rates.
Have reduced the need for large numbers of children as social security.
USA as the highest MEDC fertility rate of 2.0.
Europe - average of 2 children.

Question 3

-why does fertility vary-

How does tradition relate to fertility variation?

Answer 3

Intense cultural expectations may override the wishes of women.
E.g. Vietnam 92% women who had 2 children stated that they wished to have no more children.
However in Nigeria, this was only 4%.

Question 4

How does fertility in women aged 15-19 present a concern?

Answer 4

May lack the physical development/social support needed.
Education may be damaged.
E.g. Chad - 25% adolescent girls have given birth.

Question 5

-why does fertility vary-

How does education relate to fertility variation?

Answer 5

Education - lowers fertility rates.
Knowledge of birth control, more employment opportunities and wider choices
Increased contraceptive use.
Objective has been achieved in much of Latin America.
Not in sub-Saharan Africa. and parts of Asia/Oceania.
E.g. Rwanda only 10% use family planning.
Brazil 70% use family planning.
Lack of funds and supplies, and comprehensive programmes to educate couples of their choices are significant barriers.

Question 6

How do young age structures relate to fertility?

Answer 6

Developing countries outpacing developed countries in population growth.
Large populations of young people (Mali - 48%) ensure future population growth despite falling BR.
Due to the ‘youth bulge’ moving through the child bearing years.
Countries with a smaller youth proportion (Japan -14%) face population decline even if births per woman increases.

Question 7

How does social class relate to fertility?

Answer 7

Fertility decreases from lower to higher classes.

Question 8

How does religion relate to fertility?

Answer 8

Islam and Roman Catholic oppose contraception.
Tends to lessen with economic development.
E.g. Italian fertility rate is very low (1.3) - but home of the pope.
Some form of contraception taking place there.

Question 9

How do economic factors relate to fertility?

Answer 9

LEDC’s children are an economic asset - producers.
MEDC’s children are consumers.
Education and childcare is expensive.
Eastern Europe, economic uncertainty causes low fertility rates.

Question 10

How do political influences relate to fertility?

Answer 10

Some governments want to increase the population e.g. 1930’s Germany and Japan.
Some want to decrease it e.g. China one-child policy.

Question 11

What is the population explosion?

Answer 11

7 billion people in the world.

Late 20th century - the population was doubling every 30 years - population explosion.

Question 12

What is India like regarding population growth?

Answer 12

Population - 1 billion.
Going to be the most populous country.
Annual population growth is 0.9%, compared to China’s 0.4%.
Southern Indian states e.g. Kerala, literacy rates are high and fertility rates have fallen.
Impoverished areas e.g. Hindi belt, traditional attitudes prevail as there are large numbers still being born.
India’s fertility has dropped by 50% in the last 30 years.

Question 13

Where are fertility rates declining, regarding LEDC’s?

Answer 13

East Asia, Caribbean and South America.
Countries - Iran and Turkey.
Religious attitudes - low fertility, the Islamic world fertility is now below replacement level - fewer than 2.12 children per woman.

Question 14

What is population growth like, regarding MEDC’s?

- what countries are experiencing a population decrease?

Answer 14

Slow population growth.
Italy - predicted population decrease of 4 million by 2020.
Germany - 20% population drop.
Japan - 25% population drop.
Russia - ‘national crisis’ regarding its natural decrease.

Question 15

What is the ‘Under 2.1 Club’?

Answer 15

The fertility required to maintain the population level is 2.12 children per woman.
Already 50 nations with fertility rates at/below this level.
2016 - 88 nations will be in this category.
China is a member- although its population won’t fall until 2040 due to the time lag.

Question 16

Why are there very low fertility rates in many east European countries e.g. Ukraine and Romania?

Answer 16

Economic collapse and uncertainty following the end of communist rule has made many women postpone /abandon the idea having children.

Question 17

Why is the 2.0 fertility in the USA relatively high?

- what effect does immigration have on the USA?

Answer 17

Americans - more religious/optimistic than those in other rich nations - desire for more children.
High US immigration - younger population structure - fertility increase.

Question 18

How are governments dealing with the issue of low fertility in the MEDC’s? 2

Answer 18

1. Japanese government spending £50 million - fertility projects.
2. European countries - incentives to increase BR - considerable financial benefits for a third child.

Question 19

What is the death rate for NIC countries such as Kuwait?

Answer 19

2 per 1,000.

Question 20

How does infant mortality relate to mortality?

Answer 20

Prime indicator of socioeconomic development.
Sierra Leone - IM 163 per 1,000 live births.
Finland IM - 3 per 1,000 live births.
Areas with high IM rates generally have high mortality rates overall.

Question 21

How does medical infrastructure relate to mortality?

Answer 21

High medical infrastructure levels = low mortality levels.

VERSA e.g. lack of medical infrastructure/trained professionals.

Question 22

How does economic development relate to mortality?

Answer 22

LE higher in MEDCs.
Poverty, lack of clean water and poor nutrition etc. increases mortality rates.
Only 58% have access to adequate/improved sanitation facilities worldwide.
Wide rural/urban difference.
Only 25-50% rural residents have access to improved sanitation facilities.
Also lack clean drinking water.

Question 23

How does incidences of AIDS relate to mortality?

Answer 23

Major mortality effect - especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
40 million have AIDS - 25 million are in Africa.
Zimbabwe - over 20% population is infected.
Out of 7 million sufferers in Asia, 5 million live in India.
Infection rates have started to decline in some countries.

Question 24

Why has mortality fallen steadily around the world?

Answer 24

Medical advances.

People are more willing to control mortality than they are to control fertility.

Question 25

What does the DTM model describe and show?

Answer 25

Describes how the population of a country changes over time.
Gives changes in BR and DR.
Shows the countries passing through five stages of population change.

Question 26

What is stage 1 of the DTM like?

+ EXAMPLE.

Answer 26

High and fluctuating BR and DR.
Population growth is small.
Little natural increase.
EXAMPLE - native tribes.

Question 27

What are the reasons for the high BR in stage 1 of the DTM?

5

Answer 27

1. Limited birth control.
2. Social security.
3. Children are economic assets.
4. Children are a sign of fertility.
5. Religion encourage large families.

Question 28

What are the reasons for the high DR in stage 1 of the DTM?

4

Answer 28

1. Disease.
2. Poor nutrition and famine.
3. Poor levels of hygiene.
4. Underdeveloped and inadequate health facilities.

Question 29

What is stage 2 of the DTM like?

+ EXAMPLE.

Answer 29

Early expanding.
High BR and falling DR.
Big natural increase - population expands rapidly.
EXAMPLE: Afghanistan.

Question 30

What are the reasons for the falling DR in stage 2 in the DTM? 4

Answer 30

1. Improved public health e.g. smallpox UK vaccination - 3 months - 100,000 vaccinated.
2. Better nutrition.
3. Lower child mortality.
4. Improved medical provision e.g. disposable syringes.

Question 31

What is stage 3 of the DTM like?

+ EXAMPLE.

Answer 31

Late expanding.
Falling BR and continued falling DR.
Natural increase slows down.
EXAMPLE - Morocco.

Question 32

What are the reasons for the falling BR in stage 3 in the DTM? 8

Answer 32

1. Changing socioeconomic conditions.
2. Emancipation of women.
3. Preferences for smaller families.
4. Changing social trends and fashions e.g. materialism.
5. Increased personal wealth.
6. Compulsory schooling - children more expensive.
7. Lower IM rate - less are being born for ‘security’.
8. Family-planning systems - often supported by governments.

Question 33

What is stage 4 of the DTM like?

+ EXAMPLE.

Answer 33

Low and fluctuating BR and DR.
Small natural increase.
Falling fertility.
Significant lifestyle changes.
More women are in the workforce.
Many have a high personal income and more leisure interests.
EXAMPLE: Argentina.

Question 34

What is stage 5 of the DTM like?

+ EXAMPLE.

Answer 34

Declining.
The DR slightly exceeds the BR.
EXAMPLE: Japan.

Question 35

What are the reasons for a low BR in stage 5 of the DTM?

Answer 35

1. A rise in individualism. linked to the emancipation of women.
2. A greater financial independence of women.
3. Concern for resources for future generations.
4. An increase in non-traditional lifestyles e.g. same-sex relationships.
5. Rise in childlessness.
6. The DR may increase slightly - the population is ageing.

Question 36

Why is the DTM model useful? 5

Answer 36

1. Universal concept - can be applied to all countries.
2. Starting point for the study of demographic change over time.
3. Flexible timescales.
4. It’s easy to understand.
5. Demographic comparisons between countries.

Question 37

What are the limitations of the DTM model? 4

Answer 37

1. Original didn’t have a fifth stage - had to be added in.
2. Eurocentric - assumes that all countries around the world will follow a European sequence of socioeconomic changes.
3. Doesn’t include the role of governments.
4. Doesn’t include the impact of migration.

Question 38

What was noted in the 1960’s about most countries regarding the DTM model?
- what was noted about the LEDC countries?

Answer 38

That the MEDC’s were already at stage 4.

LEDC’s were at stage 2.

Question 39

Why did the UK (CASE STUDY) take over 100 years to complete stage 2 regarding the DTM model?

Answer 39

Social, economic and technological changes were introduced gradually, and so the DR fell slowly.

Question 40

In LEDC’s, why has the DR fallen more rapidly than that of the UK’s stage 2 phase?

Answer 40

Quicker stagess - introduction of Western medical practices.
The BR still high - population has increased rapidly.

Question 41

Why was it hoped that LEDC countries would leave stage 2?

Answer 41

Overpopulation.

E.g. China - one-child policy, forced stage 3.

Question 42

What are the main differences in the MEDCs and the LEDCs that have gone population change? 6

Answer 42

In comparison to MEDCs, LEDCs:

1. Have a higher BR in stages 1 and 2.
2. Have a much steeper DR.
3. LEDCs - larger population - greater natural increase in early stages.
4. LEDC fertility fall in stage 3 has been steeper.
5. LEDCs have had a weaker relationship between population change and economic management.
6. Some revert back e.g. Zimbabwe, AIDS.