Human Population, Population theories

Question 1

population control and family planning are essential

Answer 1

top-down

Question 2

we must focus on elevating standards of living and/or reducing inequitable consumption

Answer 2

bottom up

Question 3

Control implications

Answer 3

Morality

Feasabillity of implementation

Question 4

Impacts of human population

Answer 4

Overall resource depletion (e.g., Mineral depletion)
Environmental degradation (e.g., deforestation pollution)
Inequitable resource availability/use

Question 5

Malthusian theory of growth

Answer 5

Yet in all societies, even those that are most vicious, the tendency to a virtuous attachment is so strong, that there is a constant effort towards an increase of population. This constant effort as constantly tends to subject the lower classes of the society to distress and to prevent any great permanent amelioration of their condition“ – Malthus, T.R. (1798), “An Essay on the Principle of Population,” Ch. II
Populations increase exponentially, but food supply only linearly
Human population only limited by disease, famine, social constraints
Must control population via social constraint/birth control

Question 6

Marxist theory of growth

Answer 6

Human population grows because of poverty, resource depletion, pollution, social ills
Expansion, greed, and consumption of capital drives need for labor and increasing work force population
Must address underlying institutional issues to address population growth

Question 7

Modern perspectives on growth

Answer 7

neo-Malthusian and technological innovation

Question 8

Neo-Malthusian

Answer 8

e.g., Paul Ehrlich, The Population Bomb, 1968

Similar to Malthus, but add politics and violence as variables in population growth

Question 9

Technological innovation

Answer 9

Vastly increased our carrying capacity: mathematical modeling estimates 10–12 billion people
Agricultural improvements: sufficient food in 2010 to provide 3,130 calories per person per day