Population Theories Flashcards
When did Malthus propose his population theory?
1792
When did Boserup propose her population theory?
1965
When did Club of Rome propose their population theory?
1972
Outline Malthus’ population theory
- population grows exponentially
- food production increases arithmetically
- when population exceeds food production, population checks will cause population to reduce
Give an example of a positive population check
- war
- famine
- disease
What are preventative checks?
actions which prevent population growth
What is an example of a country whose population has changed in line with Malthus’ theory?
Nigeria
What was Nigeria’s population growth from 1960-1969? 2010-2015?
1960: 350,000
2015: 3.4 million
What are the limitations of Malthus’ population theory?
- before technological advancements in agriculture, so these were not taken into account
- largely focused on the UK and its limited land and lower yields
- globalisation allows for food to be imported from elsewhere, increasing availability
- stronger relationship with population size and wealth, not population size and food
How much did Nigeria’s rice production increase from 1960-1969? 2010-2015?
1960-1969: 268,000
2010-2015: 2.7 million
How many HIV cases did Nigeria have in 2020?
- 1.7 million
- fifth-highest number of cases in the world
What are some examples of population checks in Nigeria?
- disease, such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic
- food insecurity
- poverty
Describe the preventative population checks in Nigeria
few preventative checks, use of contraception not widely accepted
What did Malthus not account for in his population theory?
- technological advancements
- imported food and food aid
Outline the Club of Rome’s theory of population
- neo-malthusian
- population growth and resource consumption is unsustainable
- carrying capacity/Earth’s limit would be reached
- collapse of society
