Demography and Urbanization Definition – study of human populations including their size, growth, density, distribution and statistics regarding birth, marriage, disease and death 3 basic demographic factors involved in the study of population: -fertility – the number of births in a given period of time (use of crude rate i.e. annual number of births per 1,000 people) -mortality – the number of death in a given period of time/crude death rate

- migration – movement of people from one place to the other - measured by net migration rate (difference between the number of immigrants moving in and emigrants moving out per 1,00 population) Two types – movement within country and movement between countries. Push (persecution, lack of economic opportunities) and pull (good opportunities) factors involved. Immigrants, contributor or a drain to a country’s economy? When a country becomes industrialized the population growth rate declines

Malthus Theorem – population grows geometrically while food supply increases arithmetically. Birth go unchecked, population would outgrow food supply. - overpopulation cause of economic misery - smaller population enough economic resources to maintain everyone

- Environment unable to support rapid population growth - Most societies experience alternating periods of prosperity, famine, war and disease Ways of avoidance - positive checks on famine, war and disease - preventive checks such as family planning, - postponement of marriage

Anti-Malthusians believe in 3 stage process of population growth or the demographic transition -Stage 1 – fairly stable population where both birth rate and death rate high -Stage 2 – Population explosion where birth rate remains high but low death rate -Stage 3 – Both declines -Stage 4 – Low birth and death rate

Assert that transition will take place in LIN which is in Stage 2 (birth rate remain high but death rate dropped). They will move on to Stage 3. New Malthusians argue that in LIN population will continue to rise but at a slower rate. Population shrinkage (due to slower birth rate, immigration and death) occurring in many nations leading to the Stage 4

Why are people starving? Anti-Malthusians – famines because of misdistribution of existing food. Production of food has increased. Food should be distributed equally. New-Malthusians – world would not be able to produce sufficient food for the ever increasing population. Steps should be taken to reduce population.

Famines, food shortage may not be due to rapid population increase alone but might be due to drought, natural disaster, war, political instability or even outmoded farming techniques. Population in LIN will double in 40 years but will do so in MIN in 583 years. Why? -importance given to parenthood -support from the society -children considered as economic assets

Symbolic interactionists feel that these patterns should be understood within the framework of the culture and society in which such behaviours occur The conflicts contend that in LIN, male dominance prevalent. Fathering of many children is a symbol of male virility and dominance and of achieving status in society

Impact of rapid population growth-more people to share limited resources. Decline in standard of living. This will result in political instability and in turn severe repression from the government

Urbanization City – large number of people, permanently based, do not produce food. Cities developed because of an efficient system of agriculture and of a surplus. Industrial Revolution drew people to the cities. Urbanization because cities growing larger and more people living in cities at least with a population of 1million.

Urbanization – increasing proportion of a population lives in cities. Size, facilities, anonymity give cities unique urban flavour. Metropolis – cities that grow so large and exert economic, political and social influence over a region/ a central city surrounded by smaller cities and their suburbs. Megapolis – an urban area consisting of at least two metropolises and their many suburbs

Gentrification – the displacement of the poor by the relatively affluent, who purchase and renovate the former’s homes

City Life City life - provides opportunities, facilties - contains a series of smaller worlds where people find a sense of community and belonging - poses problems such as no sense community, undermines kinship and neighborhood which were the traditional bases of social control and social solidarity

urban dwellers grow aloof of one another and indifferent to others’problems. - Gemeinschaft (a sense of community that comes from everyone knowing everyone else) is torn apart by industrialization and replaced with Gesellschaft (a society with secondary, impersonal relationships which result in alienation)

People who live in cities : -Cosmopolites -Singles -Ethnic villagers -The deprived -The trapped – mobile, elderly, alcoholics, drug addicts