SOC 248 Final Study Guide Exam
Questions And All Correct.
Patterns in population growth - Answer the world is adding another billion people every 12 yrs
(exponential growth)
uneven distribution; 7 billion people - 1.3 billion of them in China, 1.1 billion in India, 3/5 of
world pop. in Asia
Perspectives on population growth (the Population Bomb debate) - Answer Napoleon:
childbearing is patriotic duty
Malthus: pop. growth will outstrip the food supply and collapse in war and famine
Marx: pop. growth isn't the problem; wealth redistribution is
Ehrlich (1968): thought that unchecked exponential growth would lead to collapse - that 3
billion could not grow to 6 billion without such a struggle (each person would have about 2
square meters in which to stand and nowhere to move, grow food, or otherwise use for his or
her survival) - YET the world has surpassed the 6 million mark and hasn't collapsed. There's
enough food - we just have to get it to the people who matter.
We've got overcrowded megacities, eroded farmland, diminishing water supplies, disappearing
forests, many species on the verge of extinction (driven off by humans) - growth takes a toll on
the land and resources!
Perspectives on population control - Answer *Contraception: Feminists in US jailed for
distributing contraception in the late 1800s/early 1900s
fertility rev. in the US and Europe 1950s-1960s with accessibility of the pill
The Vatican/ Islamic states oppose contraception and claim inequality as the problem
*China's one-child policy only applies to urban couples (13%) and doesn't apply in rural areas -
ethnic minority - both parents are only children - instituted in 1978 (b/c of famine and
malnutrition and worry over how to care for pop.) - 400,000,000 births prevented
*Migration policies
*All population growth in poor areas = not good b/c slow economic growth, little access to clean
water and sanitation, and not enough resources to meet the pop.'s needs
Demographic Transition Theory - Answer there is a predictable pattern to population growth
as a country develops;
Preindustrial/agricultural societies - death and birthrate both high; as long as in balance = stable
pop.; death rate falls a bit/birthrate stays high = large families (esp. due to cultural expectations)
, Early industrial (high birth rate or migration/ low death rate) = rapid growth b/c of remaining
social norms (to create large families and that economic security) and improved sanitation +
access to clean water
Mature industrial (factories everywhere) = slowing as birth rate declines and social norms
change (go to school, enter workforce, big cities = cramped spaces for families), affordability
changes (cities are too expensive to migrate to/ have kids in)
Postindustrial (U.S.)= very slow b/c changed priorities esp. in social norms (women in edu.,
workforce, equality movements, etc.)
Why has the birth rate dropped in the US since 2007? - Answer the economic recession b/c
kids are expensive (think to the Great Depression when birthrate dropped 17%; simultaneously,
the pop. is getting really old! Between 2012-2050, the pop. age 65+ will double
Changing demographics (Russia, Western Europe, Japan) - Answer Russia - ever since the end
of the Soviet Union (broke into smaller states), the pop. has decreased (people have moved),
there's a low birthrate (1.5 births/woman) b/c of a poor economy
The govt. has tried to create incentives for women to have more children - such things as
financial subsidies if you bear children
Western Europe/Japan - there is an aging population and fertility is below replacement
How does the age structure affect socioeconomic and political issues? - Answer *lots of young
people in Africa who do not live to old age
*Youth bulge (peeps all under 30) =
all trying to find a job and not enough jobs for them to all find employment = resort to crime,
violence, and the creation of their own opportunities (Ages 15-24 commit the largest # of
violent acts);
pressure on the edu. system (that's a lot of kids to teach);
increase in children growing up in poverty (not developed or industrialized - poverty - don't
have the opportunities for upward mobility);
orphans, especially dues to HIV/AIDS - increased risk of diseases and violence - ostracized
because of connection to HIV/AIDS - may lead to homelessness - susceptible to trafficking
*Aging pop. =
lots of sickness (pressure on healthcare system);
pressure on the social security system - fear of baby boomers taking all social security $ when
it's time for them to collect;
loss in tax base (they're not paying income tax b/c they're not working in retirement);
Questions And All Correct.
Patterns in population growth - Answer the world is adding another billion people every 12 yrs
(exponential growth)
uneven distribution; 7 billion people - 1.3 billion of them in China, 1.1 billion in India, 3/5 of
world pop. in Asia
Perspectives on population growth (the Population Bomb debate) - Answer Napoleon:
childbearing is patriotic duty
Malthus: pop. growth will outstrip the food supply and collapse in war and famine
Marx: pop. growth isn't the problem; wealth redistribution is
Ehrlich (1968): thought that unchecked exponential growth would lead to collapse - that 3
billion could not grow to 6 billion without such a struggle (each person would have about 2
square meters in which to stand and nowhere to move, grow food, or otherwise use for his or
her survival) - YET the world has surpassed the 6 million mark and hasn't collapsed. There's
enough food - we just have to get it to the people who matter.
We've got overcrowded megacities, eroded farmland, diminishing water supplies, disappearing
forests, many species on the verge of extinction (driven off by humans) - growth takes a toll on
the land and resources!
Perspectives on population control - Answer *Contraception: Feminists in US jailed for
distributing contraception in the late 1800s/early 1900s
fertility rev. in the US and Europe 1950s-1960s with accessibility of the pill
The Vatican/ Islamic states oppose contraception and claim inequality as the problem
*China's one-child policy only applies to urban couples (13%) and doesn't apply in rural areas -
ethnic minority - both parents are only children - instituted in 1978 (b/c of famine and
malnutrition and worry over how to care for pop.) - 400,000,000 births prevented
*Migration policies
*All population growth in poor areas = not good b/c slow economic growth, little access to clean
water and sanitation, and not enough resources to meet the pop.'s needs
Demographic Transition Theory - Answer there is a predictable pattern to population growth
as a country develops;
Preindustrial/agricultural societies - death and birthrate both high; as long as in balance = stable
pop.; death rate falls a bit/birthrate stays high = large families (esp. due to cultural expectations)
, Early industrial (high birth rate or migration/ low death rate) = rapid growth b/c of remaining
social norms (to create large families and that economic security) and improved sanitation +
access to clean water
Mature industrial (factories everywhere) = slowing as birth rate declines and social norms
change (go to school, enter workforce, big cities = cramped spaces for families), affordability
changes (cities are too expensive to migrate to/ have kids in)
Postindustrial (U.S.)= very slow b/c changed priorities esp. in social norms (women in edu.,
workforce, equality movements, etc.)
Why has the birth rate dropped in the US since 2007? - Answer the economic recession b/c
kids are expensive (think to the Great Depression when birthrate dropped 17%; simultaneously,
the pop. is getting really old! Between 2012-2050, the pop. age 65+ will double
Changing demographics (Russia, Western Europe, Japan) - Answer Russia - ever since the end
of the Soviet Union (broke into smaller states), the pop. has decreased (people have moved),
there's a low birthrate (1.5 births/woman) b/c of a poor economy
The govt. has tried to create incentives for women to have more children - such things as
financial subsidies if you bear children
Western Europe/Japan - there is an aging population and fertility is below replacement
How does the age structure affect socioeconomic and political issues? - Answer *lots of young
people in Africa who do not live to old age
*Youth bulge (peeps all under 30) =
all trying to find a job and not enough jobs for them to all find employment = resort to crime,
violence, and the creation of their own opportunities (Ages 15-24 commit the largest # of
violent acts);
pressure on the edu. system (that's a lot of kids to teach);
increase in children growing up in poverty (not developed or industrialized - poverty - don't
have the opportunities for upward mobility);
orphans, especially dues to HIV/AIDS - increased risk of diseases and violence - ostracized
because of connection to HIV/AIDS - may lead to homelessness - susceptible to trafficking
*Aging pop. =
lots of sickness (pressure on healthcare system);
pressure on the social security system - fear of baby boomers taking all social security $ when
it's time for them to collect;
loss in tax base (they're not paying income tax b/c they're not working in retirement);
