STUDY UNIT 18 :Understanding population policies and programmes Flashcards
what is a population policy
A public policy is a
collection of guidelines and rules resulting from actions or lack of actions on
the part of government (Birkland 2001). A population policy on the other hand
is a deliberate effort by a national government to influence present and future
demographic characteristics and trends (Driver 1972; Berelson 1971; Organski
& Organski 1961; Stycos 1977). A population policy comprises all those policies
directed at influencing the size, distribution and composition of the population
as well as its fertility, mortality and internal and international migration.
what influences are there to policy making
•• internal influences (whether the policy objectives are seen as serving national
interests, elite interests, majority interests, individual interests, etc); and
•• external influences (whether the policy objectives and instruments are
consistent with international thinking about population, human rights,
development, the environment, etc).
what does A population policy includes measures and policies directed
at influencing,
•• the reduction of morbidity and mortality and the improvement of health
and quality of life (this will include policies and programmes directed at
sanitation, immunisation, nutrition, disease control and so on)
•• the minimum age at marriage and the rights and obligations of married and
unmarried couples and their children
•• the regional distribution of the population
•• international migration
•• the empowerment of women
•• sustainable development
•• the protection of the environment
what is antinatalist and pronatalist fertility policies
An antinatalist fertility policy is a government policy intended to slow
down population growth by limiting the number of births in the population.
A pronatalist fertility policy is a government policy intended to increase
population growth by attempting to raise the number of births in the
population.
name THE CHARACTERISTICS OF POPULATION POLICY
1 that human behaviour can be changed or regulated through policy
intervention
2 that a policy process constitutes different steps and different outputs,
such as constitutions, decrees, regulations, customs and written and
unwritten “rules”.
3 that a policy can act as a catalyst for change by focusing the attention
of policy administrators, the public and the scientific community on
specific issues such as immigration, abortion, the status of women and
the environment.
what are policy objectives
Policy objectives are the desired
results of a policy. For example, to address infant morbidity and mortality (infant
mortality is the death of infants during their first year of life), a health policy for
children is put in place. Policy objectives are usually documented in a policy
document called the White Paper
what are policy instruments and provide examples thereof
policy instruments are the
“means” of a policy. There are various types of policy instruments, of which
the following are good examples:
•• Moral persuasion/information instruments, such as information, education
and communication (IEC) programmes, which are intended to educate
people regarding a desired course of action.
•• Regulations as policy instruments, such as land reform regulations or setting
a legal age for marriage.
•• Charges or taxes as policy instruments: These are usually called economic
disincentives and include charges, fees, fines and taxes. Examples are
fines for industries that pollute the environment or economic disincentives
for large families.
•• Subsidies as policy instruments: These are usually called economic
incentives (“incentives” are procedures to encourage a given course of
action).
provide international immigration policies objectives:
Domestic objectives in immigration policies:
(1.1) Economic objectives, where the goal is to import needed labour,
either entry-level or manual labour into developed countries that
have ageing populations, or highly skilled or specifically skilled
labour to meet the needs of the host country’s economy.
(1.2) Humanitarian objectives, such as addressing the right to family
reunification or honouring the principles of the 1951 and 1967
United Nations Convention on Refugees and Asylum Seekers.
(1.3) Demographic objectives, such as expanding the domestic
population or restricting population growth.
(1.4) Special circumstantial objectives, such as expatriation after a
previously colonised region has gained its independence.
2 Other objectives in immigration policies:
(2.1) To meet international obligations and follow the guidelines provided
by foreign policy.
2.2) To address matters of national security.
what are some instruments of international
migration policies:
1 Setting up categories of migrants: This instrument is the first step, namely
to distinguish between different statuses for immigrants, so that rights,
rules and obligations can be set up to apply to each category. Overall,
international migration policies differentiate between temporary entrants,
guest workers (migrant workers from outside the host country), return
migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, permanent immigrants and
undocumented (or illegal) migrants. Note that the definitions of each of
these categories might differ slightly from country to country and because
of this we are not going to define each of them here.
2 Setting up rules for entry into the country: As we have already mentioned,
the rules of entry will differ according to the category of migrant, but
usually these rules include:
a. setting up of quotas or numbers of immigrants to be allowed per year
b. setting up criteria for entry (for example the migrant must have a
given level of education or a certain amount of money to invest)
c. setting up rules for the length of the stay allowed
d. setting up grounds for exclusion (for example not accepting migrants
who have criminal records or who have a certain disease such as
TB or HIV/AIDS).
3 Specifying the rights of non-nationals (migrants) that should be honoured
by the host country: These rights would also differ according to the
categories of migrants. They are rules that spell out how the migrants
will be treated (officially, of course) when they enter the country. As you might imagine, the extent and quality of these rights could either attract
migrants to a country of destination or discourage them from applying. In
addition, governments must decide on rights for non-nationals in terms of,
a. jobs
b. special assistance to settle, assimilate and naturalise
c. access to housing, education and health services
d. the right to vote and civil rights
4 Specifying the non-nationals’ (migrants’) obligations to the host country.
Although these can also differ by category of migrant, most migrants
are obliged to abide by national laws and to pay taxes in the country of
destination.
5 Setting up mechanisms to enforce rules, quotas, rights and obligations.
In respect of this policy instrument, the responsibility for enforcing rules
will be assigned to different ministries and agencies. Governments should
decide how to control borders and what criminal or civil penalties will be
invoked (such as deportation) if rules are not complied with.
We mentioned earlier the policy environment and its possible
influence on population policy. Current trends in international
migration that could influence the immigration policy environment
include
•• governmental perceptions of the growth trends in their populations
•• stagnant economic growth in less developed countries
•• globalisation of information and trade
•• increased political pressures regarding issues of family reunification
and the rights of refugees and asylum seekers
•• increased nationalist and ethnic conflicts, dramatic increases in the
numbers of displaced persons in the past few decades and conflicts
such as those in northern Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, and Syria
list some POLICIES INFLUENCING FERTILITY AND FAMILY PLANNING
•• integrating family planning and safe motherhood into primary care systems
•• providing access to reproductive health services
•• enhancing the role of women and men in reproductive health
•• raising the minimum legal age for marriage
•• improving educational attainment and employment opportunities for women
•• discouraging son preference
•• providing free or low cost, safe and effective contraception
what are areas that the population
policy focus on
1 reducing poverty and socioeconomic inequalities
2 addressing areas of concern in health, mortality and fertility
3 focusing on the empowerment of women and the overall well-being
of the youth and children
4 improving education for all, with the emphasis on vocational education
and the promotion of educational opportunities for women
5 creating employment-generating growth with the emphasis on creating
employment opportunities for women and the youth
