Over and under population

Question 1

Thomas Malthus theory (1798)

Answer 1

• believed population was growing at a faster rate than resources
• this would cause a series of preventative and positive checks
• preventative checks= people trying to reduce the population growth themselves
• positive checks=famines and conflicts

Question 2

Esther Boserup theory

Answer 2

• more optimistic and believed humans always came up with solutions to problems
• ‘necessity was the mother of invention’
• humans will find a solution to resource shortage e.g. desalination, renewable energy etc