Discuss the four stages of the demographic transition theory.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Correct answer varies but should include that the issues of fertility and mortality are central to a major theory of population--demographic transition theory. According to this theory, population changes are related to the shift from an agricultural society to a more industrialized and urbanized society. Four stages are associated with the demographic transition: (1) Preindustrial stage, in which there is a rough balance between high death rates (mortality) and high birthrates. As a result, population growth rate, while high, is stable. (2) Transitional stage, in which the death rate declines dramatically, while the birthrate remains high. The total population grows rapidly under these circumstances. (3) In the industrial stage, the death rate drops more slowly over time to its lowest level. The deep decline in the death rate leads to more children in the family and the community. As a result, people begin thinking about limiting the number of children. Women begin to have greater access to, and are more likely to use, birth control. (4) In the postindustrial stage, while there is some variation over time, birthrates and death rates remain low. As a result, in the postindustrial stage, as in the latter part of the industrial stage, population growth remains slow or stabilizes. In Western Europe, the entire demographic transition took about 200 years.