15 Population, Urbanization, and Environment This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: - Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; - Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; - Any rental, lease or lending of the program.

Population, Urbanization, and Environment Why should we worry about the rapid rate of global population increase? How do city and rural living differ? How is the condition of the natural environment a social issue?

Demography: The Study of Population The study of human population Fertility The incidence of childbearing in a country’s population Crude birth rate The number of live births in a given year for every 1,000 people in a population

Demography: The Study of Population Mortality The incidence of death in a country’s population Crude death rate The number of deaths in a given year for every 1,000 people in a population

Demography: The Study of Population Infant mortality rate The number of deaths among infants under one year of age for each 1,000 live births in a given year Life expectancy The average life span of a country’s population

FIGURE 15–1 (a) Crude Birth Rates and Crude Death Rates, (b) Infant Mortality Rates, and (c) Life Expectancy around the World, 2009 By world standards, North America has a low birth rate, an average death rate, a very low infant mortality rate, and high life expectancy. 1 United States and Canada. 2 Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific Islands. Source: Population Reference Bureau (2009).

Demography: The Study of Population Migration The movement of people into and out of a specified territory Immigration In-migration rate Number of people entering an area for every 1,000 people in the population

Demography: The Study of Population Migration (continued) Emigration Out-migration rate The number of people leaving for every 1,000 people Both types usually happen at once Push-pull factors

Image Bank NATIONAL MAP 15–1 Population Change across the United States This map shows that since 2000, population has been moving from the heartland of the United States toward the coasts. What do you think is causing this internal migration? What categories of people do you think remain in counties that are losing population? Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2009).

Population Growth Affected by fertility, mortality, and migration Population growth of U.S. and other high-income nations is well below world average Highest growth region is Africa Troubling because these countries can barely support existing populations

Image Bank GLOBAL MAP 15–1 Population Growth in Global Perspective The richest countries of the world—including the United States, Canada, and the nations of Europe—have growth rates below 1 percent. The nations of Latin America and Asia typically have growth rates around 1.5 percent, a rate that doubles a population in forty-seven years. Africa has an overall growth rate of 2.4 percent (despite only small increases in countries with a high rate of AIDS), which cuts the doubling time to twenty-nine years. In global perspective, we see that a society’s standard of living is closely related to its rate of population growth: Population is rising fastest in the world regions that can least afford to support more people. Source: Population Reference Bureau (2009).

Population Composition Sex ratio The number of males for every 100 females in a nation’s population Age-sex pyramid A graphic representation of the age and sex of a population Lower-income nations are wide at the bottom

Image Bank FIGURE 15–2 Age-Sex Population Pyramids for the United States and Mexico, 2010 By looking at the shape of a country’s population pyramid, you can tell its level of economic development and predict future levels of population increase. Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2010).

History and Theory of Population Growth Malthusian theory Rapid population increase would lead to social chaos Geometric progression of population Doubling of population (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, etc.) Arithmetic progression of food production Limited farmland (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.)

History and Theory of Population Growth Malthusian theory (continued) Reproduction beyond what the planet could feed Birth control and sex abstention might change prediction

History and Theory of Population Growth CRITICAL REVIEW Prediction flawed Birth rate began to drop with industrialization Underestimated human ingenuity Ignored the role of social inequality in world abundance and famine Lesson: Habitable land, clean water, fresh air are limited resources

History and Theory of Population Growth Demographic transition theory Links population patterns to a society’s level of technological development What are the four stages of demographic transition theory? Stage 1 – Pre-industrial agrarian societies High birth rate, high death rate

History and Theory of Population Growth Demographic transition theory (continued) Stage 2 – Industrialization Death rate falls, birth rates remain high Stage 3 – Mature industrial economy Birth rate drops, death rate drops Stage 4 – Postindustrial economy Demographic transition complete Low-birth rate, steady death rate Japan, Europe, and the U.S.

Image Bank FIGURE 15–3 Demographic Transition Theory Demographic transition theory links population change to a society’s level of technological development.

History and Theory of Population Growth CRITICAL REVIEW Linked to modernization theory Optimism that poor countries will solve their population problems as they industrialize Dependency theorists Unless there is redistribution of global resources... Division into affluent enjoying low population growth Poor struggling to feed more and more people

Global Population Today: A Brief Survey The low-growth north Zero population growth The level of reproduction that maintains population at a steady level

Global Population Today: A Brief Survey The low-growth north (continued) What factors repress population? High proportion of men and women in labor force Rising costs of raising children Trends toward later marriage Singlehood Wide use of contraceptives Concern for under-population

Global Population Today: A Brief Survey High-growth south Population is critical problem in poor southern-hemisphere nations Advanced medical technology provided by rich nations has lowered death rate Poor societies account for 2/3 of world’s population To limit population increase births must be controlled as successfully as death With global population increasing, would you support a one-child policy? Why or why not?

Urbanization: The Growth of Cities The concentration of population into cities The first cities First urban revolution Preindustrial European cities Industrial European cities Second urban revolution

The Growth of U.S. Cities Colonial settlements, 1565-1800 Urban expansion, 1800-1860 The metropolitan era, 1860-1950 Metropolis A large city that socially and economically dominates an urban area

The Growth of U.S. Cities Urban decentralization, 1950-present Occurred as people left downtown areas for outlying suburbs Urban areas beyond the political boundaries of a city

Image Bank

Suburbs and Urban Decline Loss of higher-income taxpayers to suburbs Cities struggled to pay for expensive social programs for the poor Cities fell into crisis leading to inner-city decay Decline in the importance of public space Spread of TV, internet, and other media people can use without leaving home

Image Bank Population Profile for the 100 Largest U.S. Cities, 2000 Racial and ethnic minorities make up a majority of the population of this country’s 100 largest cities. Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2001).

Postindustrial Sun Belt Cities and Sprawl 60% of U.S. population lives in sunbelt cities Los Angeles, Houston What are some of the drawbacks of urban sprawl? Growth follows no plan Traffic congestion Poorly planned housing developments Overcrowded schools

Megalopolis: The Regional City A vast urban region containing a number of cities and their surrounding suburbs Metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) One city with 50,000 or more people Micropolitan statistical areas Urban areas with at least one city with 10,000 to 50,000 people

Megalopolis: The Regional City Megalopolis (continued) Core-based statistical areas (CBSAs) Include metropolitan and micropolitan areas New York and adjacent urban areas

Megalopolis: The Regional City Edge Cities Business centers some distance from the old downtowns No clear physical boundaries

Megalopolis: The Regional City The rural rebound 3/4 of rural communities across the U.S. gained population Scenic and recreational attractions Companies relocating to rural communities Increased economic opportunities for rural populations

Urbanism as a Way of Life Gemeinschaft A type of social organization in which people are closely tied by kinship and tradition Gesellschaft A type of social organization in which people come together only on the basis of individual self-interest Motivated by own needs rather than desire to help improve the well-being of everyone

Urbanism as a Way of Life How might Tonnies explain social patterns such as our high rate of divorce, widespread fear of crime, and incidents of “road rage” on the highways?

Mechanical and Organic Solidarity Emile Durkheim Mechanical solidarity Social bonds based on common sentiments and shared moral values Similar to Gemeinschaft Organic solidarity Social bonds based on specialization and interdependence Similar to Gesellschaft

The Blasé Urbanite Georg Simmel Tuning out much of what goes on around one City dwellers keep distance as a survival strategy How would Simmel explain cases of people turning away from others in need of the grounds that they simply “don’t want to get involved”?

The Chicago School: Robert Park and Louis Wirth City is a living organism – a human kaleidoscope Define the city as a setting with a large, dense, and socially diverse population City dwellers know others not in terms of Who they are but what they do Impersonal nature of urban relationships with greater diversity makes city dwellers more tolerant than rural villagers

The Chicago School: Robert Park and Louis Wirth CRITICAL REVIEW Overlook the effects of class, race, and gender Many kinds of urbanites Of the urban sociologists presented, which were more positive about urban life? Which were more negative? In each case, explain why.

Urban Ecology The study of the link between the physical and social dimensions of cities Concentric zones Wedge-shaped sectors Multicentered model

Urban Ecology Social area analysis Households with fewer children cluster towards city’s center Social class differences are responsible for sector-shaped districts Racial and ethnic neighborhoods consistent with multi-centered model

Urban Political Economy Urban political-economy model Applies Marx’s analysis of conflict in the workplace to conflict in the city Political economists reject ecological approach of city as a natural organism See city life as defined by people with power

Urban Political Economy CRITICAL REVIEW Focus on U.S. cities during a limited period of history Unlikely any single model can account for full range of urban diversity

Urbanization in Poor Nations Two revolutionary expansion of cities in world history First began about 8000 B.C.E. Second began in 1750 and lasted two centuries

Urbanization in Poor Nations Third urban revolution is under way Result of many poor nations entering high-growth stage 2 of demographic transitions theory Cities offer more opportunities than rural areas Provide no quick fix for problems of escalating population and grinding poverty

Environment and Society Ecology The study of the interaction of living organisms and the natural environment Natural environment Earth’s surface and atmosphere, including living organisms, air, water, soil, and other resources necessary to sustain life Why do you think that sociologists are interested in the environment?

The Global Dimension Ecosystem A system composed of the interaction of all living organisms and their natural environment Why must the natural environment be studied with a global perspective? Change in any part of the natural environment affects the entire global ecosystem The ecological viewpoint of the hamburger

Technology and the Environmental Deficit I=PAT Environmental impact (I) reflects a society’s population (P), its level of affluence (A), and its level of technology (T). Societies at intermediate stages of sociocultural evolution have somewhat greater capacity to affect the environment

Technology and the Environmental Deficit Environmental impact of industrial technology goes beyond energy consumption Environmental Deficit Profound long-term harm to the natural environment caused by humanity’s focus on short-term material affluence

Technology and the Environmental Deficit Environmental concerns are sociological Environmental damage to air, land, or water is unintended Environmental deficit is reversible Societies create environmental problems Societies can undo many of them Do you think that environmental study should be a part of the curriculum of every school in the country? Why or why not?

Culture: Growth and Limits The logic of growth Material comfort, progress, science Holds that more powerful technology has improved lives and new discoveries will continue to do so in the future Progress can lead to unexpected problems Strain on the environment

Culture: Growth and Limits Environmentalists Logic of growth flawed Assumes natural resources will always be plentiful Can you identify ways in which the mass media and our popular culture encourage people to support the logic of growth?

Culture: Growth and Limits The limits of growth Cannot invent our way out of the problems created by growth Growth must have limits Humanity must enact policies to control population increase, pollution, and use of resources to avoid environmental collapse

Culture: Growth and Limits Shares Malthus’s pessimism about the future What policies would you propose to control the threat of population growth?

Solid Waste: The Disposable Society Do you think having more, in a materialistic sense, is the path to personal happiness? The U.S. has a disposable society Consumes more products than virtually any other nation on earth Countless items are designed to be disposable

Solid Waste: The Disposable Society The U.S. has a disposable society (continued) Wealthy society consumes hundreds of times more energy, plastics, lumber, and other resources 80% never goes away Ends up in landfills Can pollute groundwater Recycling – reuse of resources

Image Bank FIGURE 15–4 Composition of Community Trash We throw away a wide range of material, with paper the single largest part of our trash. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2009).

Solid Waste: The Disposable Society Water and air Hydrologic cycle Planet naturally recycles water and refreshes the land Two major concerns Supply and pollution

Solid Waste: The Disposable Society Water supply 1% is suitable for drinking Water rights prominent in laws around the world Rising population and development greatly increase world’s needs for water Water is a valuable and finite resource

Solid Waste: The Disposable Society Do you think that water needs for future generations are ensured? What will we do if the answer turns out to be no?

Solid Waste: The Disposable Society Water pollution In large cities, people have no choice but to drink contaminated water Quality in U.S. good by global standards Special problem is acid rain Rain made acidic by air pollution that destroys plant and animal life Global phenomenon Regions that suffer might be thousands of miles from source of the pollution

Solid Waste: The Disposable Society Air pollution Americans more aware of air pollution than contaminated water Air quality improved in the final decades of the 20th century Wealthy nations passed laws banning high-pollution heating

Solid Waste: The Disposable Society Air pollution (continued) Why is air pollution such a serious problem in poor nations? Should the U.S. be concerned? And if so, what should be done? Reliance on coal, wood, peat, or other “dirty” fuels for heating

Rain Forests Regions of dense forestation, most of which circle the globe close to the equator Largest in south America, west-central Africa, and southeast Asia 7% of Earth’s total land surface

Rain Forests Losing rainforests to hardwood trade How do rich nations contribute to the destruction of the rain forests? Love parquet floors, fine furniture, fancy paneling, weekend yachts, and high-grade coffins No rainforests – no protection of Earth’s biodiversity and climate

Global Warming A rise in Earth’s average temperature due to an increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere Carbon dioxide increasing while amount of plant life on Earth is shrinking Rainforests being destroyed by burning

Global Warming Global warming is a problem that threatens the future for all Have you experienced changes in your own world resulting from global warming? Explain.

Declining Biodiversity Clearing rainforests reduces earth’s biodiversity Rainforests home to almost half of planet’s living species

Declining Biodiversity Why should we be concerned about the destruction of the rainforests? Biodiversity provides a varied source of human food Biodiversity is a vital genetic resource used by medical and pharmaceutical researchers Beauty and complexity of natural environment are diminished Extinction of any species is irreversible and final

Environmental Racism Patterns that make environmental hazards greatest for poor people, especially minorities Where do the people who own the factories live in relationship to the factories? Where do the people who work in the factories live in relationship to the factories? What accounts for this pattern?

Environmental Racism Factories that spew pollution stood near neighborhoods housing poor and people of color Poor drawn to factories for work Low incomes led to affordable housing in undesirable neighborhoods

Toward a Sustainable Society and World Ecologically sustainable culture A way of life that meets the needs of the present generation without threatening the environmental legacy of future generations Three strategies Bring population growth under control Conserve finite resources Reduce waste

Sources: Brown (1995), Simon (1995), Scanlon (2001), and Smail (2007).

Toward a Sustainable Society and World Dinosaurs dominated for 160 million years Humanity is far younger 250,000 years Compared to dinosaurs, humans have the great gift of intelligence What are the chances that humans will continue to flourish 160 million years or even 1,000 years from now?

Toward a Sustainable Society and World Make five predictions about the state of the world population and also the state of the planet’s environment fifty years from now. Are you optimistic or pessimistic?