Chapter 20: Population, Urbanization and the Environment Flashcards
cancer cluster
a geographic area with high levels of cancer within its population
carrying capacity
how many people can live in a given area considering the amount of available
resources
climate change
long-term shifts in temperature and climate due to human activity
concentric zone model
a model of human ecology that views cities as a series of circular rings or zones
cornucopian theory
theory which asserts that human ingenuity will rise to the challenge of providing adequate resources for a growing population
demographic transition theory
theory that describes four stages of population growth, following patterns that connect birth and death rates with stages of industrial development
demography
the study of population
e-waste
the disposal of broken, obsolete, and worn-out electronics
environmental racism
the way economically and socially disadvantaged communities are burdened with a disproportionate share of environmental hazards
environmental sociology
the sociological subfield that addresses the relationship between humans and the environment
exurbs
communities that arise farther out than the suburbs and are typically populated by residents of high socioeconomic status
fertility rate
a measure noting the actual number of children born
gentrification
when upper- and middle-class residents enter certain city areas or communities that have been historically less affluent
human ecology
a functional perspective that looks at the relationship between people and their built and natural environment
Malthusian theory
theory which asserts that population is controlled through positive checks (war, famine, disease) and preventative checks (measures to reduce fertility)
megalopolis
a large urban corridor that encompasses several cities and their surrounding suburbs and exurbs
metropolis
the area that includes a city and its suburbs and exurbs
mortality rate
a measure of the number of people who die
NIMBY
“Not in My Back Yard,” describing the tendency of people to protest poor environmental practices when those practices will impact them directly
pollution
when contaminants are introduced into an environment at levels that are damaging
population composition
a snapshot of the demographic profile of a population based on fertility, mortality, and migration rates
population pyramid
graphic representation that depicts population distribution according to age and sex
sex ratio
the ratio of men to women in a given population
suburbs
the communities surrounding cities, typically close enough for a daily commute
