DEMOGRAPHY: Population

World Population Clock

Why do we study population?

•the increasing population is the most serious issue facing the world

• in order to fully understand a nation, region, province, city, etc. one must have an understanding of the characteristics of the human population in that area

Who Studies Population?

• Demographers

What do they want to know?

• How many? Where can this information be found?

• How is population changing?

• How quickly is this population change?

• What are the characteristics and composition of this population?

•How is the population distributed?

•What implication do these factors have for the future?

How do they get the information?

• Censuses – a collection of data about a population

• started in early Roman times http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2001/what-did-the-census-at-the-time-of-the-birth-of-christ-accomplish

• Doomsday Book – England 1066 – one of the best known modern tallies of population

• collected through enumerators that go door-to-door (LDC’s), or deliver censuses that are to be mailed back to the government (Canada) or done online as in 2011.

What kind of information is collected?

population gender

religion age

nationality occupation

language home ownership

education marital status

household income possessions

Inaccuracies with data collection:

• Homelessness

• Fear of entering slums and crime-ridden areas

• Isolation

• Confusion

• Privacy Issues

• Reputation

• Interpretation of questions and data

Problems that result from inaccuracies:

• Unfair political representation

• Unfair levels of funding

• Lack of funding for homeless people

•Faulty economic policies

• Difficulty in comparing nations

How often do we conduct a census?

• Frequency of censuses varies depending on the nation and their resources. It is very expensive to conduct a census and it requires a lot of people to collect the data.

•In Canada – every 5 years

• The Canadian government employs 4000 (Stats Canada), 500 work in the census department.

• Canada hires 50,000 people on short-term contracts in a census year to work as enumerators.

An interesting web siteAn interesting web site

[INED] The world population[INED] The world population

POPULATIONPOPULATIONProblemsProblems

Thomas MalthusThomas Malthus

Two Key components of Two Key components of Population management:Population management:Positive Population checks –Positive Population checks – keep the population levels down keep the population levels down through wars, disease, and faminethrough wars, disease, and famine

Negative Population checks-Negative Population checks- Keep the population levels down Keep the population levels down through family planning, later through family planning, later marriage, and celibacymarriage, and celibacy

Carrying CapacityCarrying Capacity Means: The maximum number of people Means: The maximum number of people

that an environment can support without that an environment can support without negative or damaging effectsnegative or damaging effects

““Doomsayers like Paul Ehrlich and Doomsayers like Paul Ehrlich and Garrett Hardin seem to think the Earth Garrett Hardin seem to think the Earth has already exceeded its carrying has already exceeded its carrying capacity while their critics such as Julian capacity while their critics such as Julian Simon seem to believe the carrying Simon seem to believe the carrying capacity of the planet is infinite”capacity of the planet is infinite”

Population RatesPopulation Rates Increasing greatlyIncreasing greatly Every minute of the day, 900 people are Every minute of the day, 900 people are

bornborn That makes about 1.3 million people a That makes about 1.3 million people a

dayday Today the World population is over 7 Today the World population is over 7

billion billion The World Population is expected to The World Population is expected to

double by the year 2050double by the year 2050

Death RatesDeath Rates

• Decreasing at a significant rate

• Better medical treatment

• Disease control (Malaria, Small pox)

• Better communication and transportation (we are able to assist those in other countries more efficiently and effectively)

Results• Over population

• We have the same amount of Earth and a lot more people to sustain

• Famine – people dying of starvation

• Stricter laws on child birth in some areas

• Poverty – poor living/working conditions

How can we deal with this How can we deal with this problem?problem?

Educate people on methods of Birth Educate people on methods of Birth Control (Family planning strategies)Control (Family planning strategies)

Educate people on the effects of Educate people on the effects of overpopulationoverpopulation

Equality for women – in many countries Equality for women – in many countries women do not have the ability to gain women do not have the ability to gain access to birth control even if they want it. access to birth control even if they want it. Often they must have permission from Often they must have permission from their husbands.their husbands.

China’s SolutionsChina’s Solutions• Current population – 1.2 Billion people

• 1979 – Birth Control Policies introduces

• 1 Child per couple in Urban areas

• Later marrying ages for men and women – late 20’s for men, mid-20’s for women

• Spied on people at work and home

• Strict Punishment/Reward system for following the rules

PunishmentsPunishments no medical careno medical care decreased wagedecreased wage forced sterilizations/abortionsforced sterilizations/abortions benefits cease benefits cease no university acceptance for childrenno university acceptance for children decreased pensiondecreased pension pay back financial benefits from first childpay back financial benefits from first child

RewardsRewards increased wages and bonusesincreased wages and bonuses free vacations for sterilizations/abortionsfree vacations for sterilizations/abortions preferential housingpreferential housing extra maternity leave and free daycareextra maternity leave and free daycare free medical care free medical care free tuition for childrenfree tuition for children extra pension incomeextra pension income guaranteed job for child when they guaranteed job for child when they

graduategraduate

Problems they facedProblems they faced Female infanticide (killing female babies Female infanticide (killing female babies

so that they could have another child with so that they could have another child with hopes of it being a boy)hopes of it being a boy)

Decreased number of people in the family Decreased number of people in the family to support it financially (women did not to support it financially (women did not have the same opportunities as men)have the same opportunities as men)

Abandonment of female babies (full Abandonment of female babies (full orphanages)orphanages)

Social problems – more males than Social problems – more males than femalesfemales

Present SituationPresent Situation Couples in rural areas can now have Couples in rural areas can now have

another child after 4 years if the first is a another child after 4 years if the first is a girlgirl

Couples with a female baby get cash Couples with a female baby get cash bonusesbonuses

Girls can now support parents in old age Girls can now support parents in old age and have jobs and possessions handed and have jobs and possessions handed down to them.down to them.

Old age pension is increased for Old age pension is increased for compliancecompliance

Successful?Successful? Birth rate has decreased by over 200% in the Birth rate has decreased by over 200% in the

past 40 yearspast 40 years Is that enough?Is that enough? What about their human rights?What about their human rights? Equality?Equality? Forced Sterilization/Abortion issues?Forced Sterilization/Abortion issues? Labor force?Labor force? YouTube - One Child Policy – ChinaYouTube - One Child Policy – China Avoiding China’s “one-child” Policy « iLook Avoiding China’s “one-child” Policy « iLook

ChinaChina

How to measure population densityHow to measure population density The population density of a country The population density of a country

counts all people per square km of counts all people per square km of land. Thus Canada has really low land. Thus Canada has really low population density of 3.3 people per population density of 3.3 people per sq km. That is counting tundra in the sq km. That is counting tundra in the north!!!north!!!

A truer picture?A truer picture? The The physiological densityphysiological density or or real population real population

densitydensity is the number of people per unit area of is the number of people per unit area of arable land that can actually be lived on or arable land that can actually be lived on or farmed.farmed.

Using this measure, Canada is actually 174 Using this measure, Canada is actually 174 people per square km NOT 3.3. This is because people per square km NOT 3.3. This is because only 5% of our land is ARABLE (can be only 5% of our land is ARABLE (can be farmed/lived on).farmed/lived on).

Thus, it can be argued that the USA has more Thus, it can be argued that the USA has more living space than Canada. living space than Canada. The United States is The United States is blessed with more arable land than Canada with blessed with more arable land than Canada with 19%.19%.