Chapter 10

Global
Demography
Why Do People Have Children?
Why Do People Have Children?
Couples typically have children for
emotional fulfillment and as a symbol of a
successful union, ensuring a successor
generation. Concerns about the potential
strain on the household and the economic
impact of having or not having children
often influence the decision.
Why Do People Have Children?
Rural communities value additional help in
farming, while poorer urban areas see larger families
as beneficial for small street businesses. Urbanized,
dual-income families prioritize one or two children due
to career commitments and focus on long-term
financial goals.
What Is Demography?
The scientific study of population by demographers focuses
on size, distribution, composition, and change in population.
Why Is It Important?
Understanding population trends is
crucial for various aspects of society, including
economic development, resource management,
environmental sustainability, and social
welfare.
 Population
Number of persons in a geographic area, drawing subsistence from their habitat, and interacting
with one another.
 Population has
“3”
Important Components
 Size
Number of people
 Dispersion
Geographic dispersion, measured by population density
Composition
Characteristics of people
Population also has
“3”
Population Change
Components
Fertility
• The average number of children born per woman
Reproduction among women (expressed as children
born by women ages 15-49)
 Mortality
• The rate at which people die
Number of deaths in a
population (declining mortality is
the main cause of world population
growth)
 Migration
• the movement of people between places
Permanent movement of people with the purpose of
changing residence.
The

“Perils”
of overpopulation
Again, Why Is It Important
to study demography?
 Change in
population
size is a key
feature of
social
transition
and change.
 Similar to the
introduction of new
technology,
population increase
or decrease can act
as a catalyst for
social change.
This can also be an enlightening topic for
our dreaded fear…

Overpopulation
Or is it?
Let us look at history a bit…
 In 1798, Thomas Malthus
cautioned that the growth of
the population could
eventually lead to a
depletion of the world's food
supply.
 Paul and Anne Ehrlich's
1960s book 'The Population
Bomb' predicted global
disasters due to
overpopulation in the 1970s
and 1980s.
It didn’t happen.
Were the times just…
Off?!
Why did they think so then?
 Development planners saw urbanization and
industrialization as indicators of a developing
society, but disagree on the role of population growth
or decline in modernization.
 Population control

Limiting population
enables the efficient use
of vital resources for
economic progress.
 Population control
Advocates argue for
universal access to
reproductive technologies
and the right for women to
choose whether to have
children or not.
The Theory of
Demographic
Transition
The Theory of Demographic Transition
It is a global demographic phenomenon whereby population
growth has experienced a pattern of transition from a high
birth rate and high death
rate, to a modern pattern of low birth rate and low death rate.

It is basically how our population

rapidly became bigger
The Demographic Transition
has
“3”
Stages
 Pre-Transition
• High birth and death rates with little population growth.
A stable population.
 Early Transition
• Declining death rate, mainly due to
reduced infant deaths, along with
medium fertility, resulting in
significant population growth.
 Late Transition
Low birth and death rates with
little population growth. Low birth and
death rates, efforts to curtail fertility,
low population growth
Reproductive
Rights
Reproductive rights
Reproductive
rights support
giving women
control over having
children and the
timing of childbirth.
Reproductive rights
Empower
women to pursue
economic, social,
and political
vocations,
contributing to
economic growth.
The Two Views

Supportive Opposition
The Two Views

Supportive
• Countries with growing
economies introduce or strengthen
reproductive health laws, including
abortion.
• High-income First World
nations and fast-developing
countries sustain growth through
reproductive technologies.
The Two Views

Opposition
• Opponents view reproductive
rights as a front for abortion and
argue against it.
• Some see abortion as
endangering the mother's life and
consider it morally wrong.
• Religious opposition describes
abortion as debauchery and a
hindrance to a new soul becoming
human.
The Feminist
Perspective
The Feminist Perspective
Feminists oppose
compulsory population
control, arguing that such
measures, combining
punitive mechanisms
with benefits, do not
empower women.
The Feminist Perspective
They reject government
assumptions that link poverty
and environmental degradation
solely to overpopulation,
emphasizing other causes like
unequal wealth distribution,
the absence of public safety
nets, and gender inequality.
Challenges and Acknowledgements
Challenges and Acknowledgements
The 1994 United Nations
International Conference on
Population and Development
recognized women's reproductive
rights and suggested goals such as
family planning counseling,
addressing abortion, sexually
transmitted diseases, human
sexuality, and responsible
parenthood.
Challenges and Acknowledgements
Governments did
not directly address
criticisms, leaving it to
individual countries to
determine how to
implement these
recommendations into
programs.
Challenges and Acknowledgements
Globally, acknowledgment of
women's and feminist arguments
on reproductive rights and
overpopulation exists, but the
challenge remains in translating
these ideas into national policies.
Thank you for listening
and helping to make
the world a better
place!