Population & Consumption - Notes

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Intro

World experienced massive rise in population

E.g. 7 billion

Majority increased in past 100 years

Due to industrial revolution

Mostly increased in developing world, e.g. Africa, Asia

Future Projections

UN - 2050 population will hit 9.2 billion

Population of developing will rise from 4.2 to 8.2

However, pop. levels in Europe projected to decline sharply

Malthusian/Modernisation Theory

Thomas Malthus

Paul Ehrlich

Pop. increases faster than their ability to feed themselves

This will lead to natural checks like famine and malnutrition

Limit pop. as they increase death rates

Argued that to avoid this - delay marriage and abstain from sex

Adopted Malthus' ideas

Argued 'the battle to feed humanity is over'

High birth rates of developing led to 'population explosion'

Led to strain on limited resources of food & energy

This is responsible for; famine, poverty, deforestation and desertification

Birth rates must be in balance with death rates - humanity will breed itself into oblivion

Blaming the Victims

Mod. sees religions (Islam and RCC) as responsible for birth rates

Harrison - Muslims opposed to family planning (fear of premarital sex)

Patriarchal nature

Importance of having sons - attract dowires & earn more than daughters

Highlights low status of women - denied reproductive rights and abortion rights

Solutions to Overpopulation

1) Family Planning

2) Western Aid

3) Education of Women

Introduced family planning schemes - aggressively reduce pop.

Aid used to encourage governments of developing to adopt family planning and health-education policies

Huge amount given - introducing contraceptives to promote birth control via media

Most important aspect to reduce pop.

If women's ed & employment improved

provide them with alt. sources of status beyond childbearing

Population & Consumption