Population Xtras Flashcards
Define fertility rate
The number of live births per 1000 women aged 15-49 in a given year.
How does infant mortality rate influence fertility?
(Factors affecting fertility)
Where infant mortality rate is high, it is usual for many children to die before reaching adult life. In such societies, parents often many children to ensure that some survive.
How can social/cultural factors influence fertility?
(Factors affecting fertility)
In some societies, particularly in Africa, tradition demands high rates of reproduction. Here, the opinion of women in the reproductive years may have little influence weighed against intense cultural expectations.
Religion is also an important factor. For example, Muslim and Roman Catholic religions oppose artificial birth control.
How can economic factors influence fertility?
In many LICs, children are seen as an economic asset because of the work they do and also because the support their they are expected to give their parents in old age.
In HICs, the general perception is reversed and the cost of the child-dependency years is a major factor in the decision to begin or extend a family. For example, The Child Poverty Action Group estimated that the cost of raising a child in the UK until the age of 18 in 2022 is £150 000 for couples and over £200,000 for single parents
Using an example, explain how economic factors can cause food shortages.
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, international donors have suspended humanitarian funding and have frozen billions of dollars in assets. This has led to soaring food prices, thereby increasing hunger. Therefore, the death rate is likely to increase (due to starvation).
Using an example, explain the issue of having a high youthful population.
With the number of children increasing by 750,000 per year, the state is burdened with much higher demands for investments and health services, that are in limited a supply and of generally low quality. (e.g. Only around 50% of children receive a complete set of vaccinations, 44% of under-fives are stunted, and over 33% are underweight.
Using an example, example the issue of having a high elderly population.
In 2022, birth rate in the UK dropped to the lowest level in two decades with 605,479 live births.
With an ageing population ageing population that needs caring for, the burden on the working population is heavier than ever.
What is the political/social impact of an ageing population.
With more voters passing the retirement age, its is less likely they will vote for parties promising to reduce their benefits, especially after they have spent their career opportunities contributing to the economy. In turn, this makes the economy less appealing for the economically active, which in turn makes it harder for them to have children
Explain how economic growth reduces fertility.
Economic growth allows greater spending on health, housing, nutrition and education, which is important in lowering mortality and in turn reducing fertility.
Explain how political factor effect fertility.
During the late 1930s, Germany, Italy and Japan all offered inducements and concessions to those with larger families.
Define sex ratio
The sex ratio is the number of males per 100 females in a population.
What are the issues of the DTM?
-Critics of the DTM model see it as too Eurocentric as it was based on the experience of Western Europe. It is therefore not necessarily relevant to the experience of other countries.
-It does not take into account migration.
-LICs may not follow the sequence set out in the model.
What is the difference in birth rates between the HICs and LICs in the DTM.
(differences between population change in LICs and HICs).
In LICs, birth rates in stages 1 and 2 were generally higher. About a dozen of African countries currently have birth rates of 45/1000 or over.
In the DTM, the death rate fell much more steeply in LICs compared to HICs, why is this?
(differences between population change in LICs and HICs).
In LICs, the rapid introduction of Western medicine, particularly in the form of inoculation against major diseases, had had a huge impact in reducing mortality.
What is the difference in growth between HICs and LICs in stage 2 and early stage 3 of the DTM?
(differences between population change in LICs and HICs).
Some countries has much larger base populations and thus the impact of high growth in stage 2 and the early part of stage 3 had been much greater.
No countries that are now classed as HICs had populations anywhere near the size of India and China when they entered stage 2 of the DTM.
