Criticisms of the Model

Question 1

What are the advantages of the DTM?

Answer 1

• it’s dynamic + helps us understand how + why pop. growth changes over time + what affect changing BR + DR have on pop size
• universal concept
• flexible timescales
• provides a base model, so allows comparisons
• worked well to understand pop. change in Europe, N. America + Japan

Question 2

What are the criticisms of the DTM?

Answer 2

• Eurocentric, so assumes all countries will follow the way Europe developed
  
  • but some LICs in Africa had BR stay higher for longer + so have a bigger base pop. which makes transitions between stages slower
• timescale of transition may differ
  
  • e.g. quicker transition bc tech is introduced
• doesn’t consider migration, gov. policies, wars or conflict + pandemics/diseases (HIV/AIDS) impacting a pop.
• original model didn’t contain a 5th stage, + can’t predict when changes will occur for a country
• ignores regional differences within a country