Demographic Transition Model Flashcards
Change in population over years
Populations are expected to fall and rise ‘naturally’ due to increasing development. Populations will grow if the birth rate (number of babies born per 1000 people) increases and the death rate (number of deaths per 1000 people) decreases
Stage 1 of the demographic transition model
Stage 1 - There are high birth and death rates meaning the total population tends to be quite low and there isn’t much change in population size. The country tends to be poorly developed, so has little wealth to spend on services such as health education. Most employment is in primary industries (farming, mining, etc) which can be intensive labour work and low income. Birth rates are high due to factors such as a lack of access to contraception, religious beliefs, lack of education etc. Death rates are high for various reasons including lack of safe drinking water and sanitation, malnutrition, lack of access to healthcare.
Stage 2 of the demographic transition model
Stage 2 - Death rate begins to decrease while birth rate stays high this means that the population size starts to increase. This is because the country often becomes more developed meaning it has more money spent on hospitals and doctors, which has a huge effect on reducing the death rate. The population will increase as a result of fewer people dying. Epidemics and disease are better understood, with households developing basic knowledge of sanitation and transmission of diseases. Improvements in farming and mining practices - use of machinery, for example - will reduce injuries and fatalities in the workplace. As development increases, secondary industry (manufacturing and production) will also develop; secondary industry can offer higher-paid, more secure jobs (workers are paid for how many hours they work rather than the crops they produce, and jobs aren’t seasonal). This means income is more consistent and often standards of living improve and malnutrition decreases.
Stage 3 of the demographic transition model
Stage 3 - Death rate continues to decrease while birth rates decrease which means the
population expands more rapidly. Often women have more rights and therefore have more education and improved access to contraception and family-planning advice. A focus on career may mean women start having children later and they also have less children. A move away from the primary industry means most families don’t need so many children to work on the land.
Stage 4 if the demographic transition midel
Stage 4 - Birth rate and death rates are much lower and have plateaued. Despite this, population continues to increase for MEDCs as migrants from other countries are attracted to employment opportunities and the better quality of life provided. If controlled, migration can fill skills gaps and keep services and industries growing. (The UK used international migrants to fill a skills gap in the NHS in 2000, so medical services could be maintained for the growing population).
Uk population structure?
● The population of the UK is unevenly distributed because of the condition of the land in the area.
● 84% of the population line in England, which has low-lying hospitable land.
● Dense population in major cities and concentrated along the south coast.
● Lowest population density in rural areas.
● Rapid growth in areas of economic development – London and the South-East.
● Declining populations at Scottish coast and Cumbria from lack of employment opportunities and counter-urbanisation from deindustrialised cities like Bradford
Why have birth rates over the last century increased?
- Population Growth : As the population increases, the number of child-bearing people
increases and so the rate of population growth increases. - Government Policy - (Maternity/Paternity leave)
Why might birth rates decline?
- The use of contraception, is more widespread; there is free access to contraception
through the NHS and sex education is taught in schools. - Religion - Britain is tending to become less religious with more people identifying as atheists
or becoming less strict than the previous generations. This means they can use
contraception, get married later and feel less pressured to have children by their religion. - Increasing financial cost of raising a child mean some families are choosing to have less
children. - Advancement of women - more women wish to pursue a career and so postpone having
Why have death rates generally decreased?
Death Rates have generally decreased in the UK due to:
- Advancement in medicine - Many diseases have been eradicated, and access to healthcare
has improved (especially in urban cities).
- Immunisation to disease - Again, many diseases have been eradicated, with minimal cases
of Polio, Measles and Rubella.
- Clean water and sanitation - 96% of UK households are connected to the main sewage
system and 100% have access to clean water, hence reducing the risk of water-borne diseases and diarrhoea.
What is the burgess model?
Burgess’ Model shows the city as bands moving outward from a central business district (CBD). The next band out from the CBD is often industrial, followed by working class housing. The other residential bands are often middle-class housing and commuter areas. Here, the houses become bigger and more spaced out as you move away from the centre into the suburbs. Typically, the class of the population increases the further suburban you go, and so the type and size of housing, income and quality of life will improve too.
What is Hoyt’s model?
Hoyt’s Model has industry travelling outwards in sectors, these often run parallel to transport routes (in the past these followed rivers when most transportation was done by boat but more recently this has changed to railways and train lines). The working class housing tends to be close to the industrial areas.
What is place character and how is it affected?
Place character relates to the specific qualities, attributes or features of a location that make it unique. Place character is affected by endogenous and exogenous factors:
What are endogenous factors?
Those which originate from within the place and are local
What are some endogenous factors?
● Land Use - Is the area urban or rural?
● Topography - The relief and lie of the land
● Physical Geography - Are there natural physical features such as waterfalls or estuaries?
● Infrastructure - Built services that enhance or are essential to living conditions:
○ Roads, railways, canals, airports
○ Broadband and phone networks, water supply, sewers and electrical grids
○ Parks, public pools, schools, hospitals, libraries
○ Education system, health care provision, local government, law enforcement, emergency services
● Demographic Characteristics - Age, gender, number, ethnicity of the population
● Built Environment - The architecture of the area. Contemporary, ageing, historical
● Location - Elevation, distance to the coast etc.
● Economic Characteristics - In debt, growth market, ageing industries, economic sectors
What are exogenous factors?
Those which originate from outside a place and provide linkages and relationships with and to other places.
