Discuss the demographic transition and explain the various factors involved. In your discussion, be sure to explain why people in poor countries tend to have more children, whereas the rich choose to have fewer children. Finally, explore what is meant by the dilemma of the demographic transition.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
1. Define the demographic transition.
2. Explain the dynamics of demographic transition. For instance, in the early stages, death rates fall as food supplies increase and access to health care expands. Later, birthrates fall as people become educated, more secure, and more urbanized, and as the status of women in society rises. At the end of the transition, as at the beginning, birthrates and death rates are fairly close to each other, and population growth is limited. But during the transition, when death rates have fallen more than birthrates, population grows rapidly.
3. Discuss the link between wealth and number of children in a family. Students might mention that under harsh poverty, a child's survival is not assured, and having many children helps ensure that some survive.
4. Explain the dilemma of the demographic transition. For example, rapid population growth and a child-heavy population are powerful forces lowering per capita income. Yet the best way to slow population growth is to raise per capita income. Population growth thus contributes to a vicious cycle in many poor states. Where population rises at the same rate as overall wealth, the average person is no better off over time. Even when the economy grows faster than the population, so that the average income rises, the total number of poor people may increase.
5. Provide a succinct summary and effective conclusion.