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 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 does the Nigerian rice industry between 1960 and 2015 portray Malthusian views?
Rice production increased by roughly 2.4 million tonnes but the demand was 700,000 tonnes greater leading to potential famine.
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
Why is the Club of Rome seen as controversial?
proposed the introduction of a 1 child policy for all industrialised countries (2016)
What was Simon’s outlook with regards to population growth?
optimistic
How much did poverty fall to by 2015?
below 10%
What percentage did population increase between 1960 and 2016?
145%
What percentage did global average GDP per capita increase between 1960 and 2016?
183%
