Transcript Population in the United States

Chapter 15
Population and Urban Life
Chapter Outline
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Populations, Large and Small
Population and Social Structure: Two
Examples
Population and Social Problems: Two
Examples
Population in the United States
Urbanization
Place of Residence and Social Relationships
Population
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The study of population is known as
demography.
 Demographers focus on fertility, mortality, and
migration.
 Currently, the world population is 6.3 billion,
2 1/2 times as many people as lived in 1950.
 World population has grown because fertility
has increased while life spans have
lengthened and mortality has decreased.
Understanding Population
Growth
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Population growth and change can be
understood only if we use statistical
summaries of human experience.
Three measures are especially
important:
– crude birthrate
– crude deathrate
– the rate of natural increase
World Population Picture, 2003
Area
World
More
developed
nations
Less
developed
nations
Rate of natural
Crude
Crude
population
birthrate deathrate
increase
22
9
1.3
11
10
0.1
24
8
1.6
The Demographic Transition
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Decline in mortality in the West was
related to better nutrition and sanitation.
Decline in fertility was probably related,
for the most part, to changes in values
and life styles.
Ghana: A Case Study
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The crude birth rate is about 34 and the
crude death rate is around 10.
Women who do not bear at least four
children are not valued.
Society cannot maintain schools,
sanitation systems, or an adequate
infrastructure under such great
populations pressures.
Europe: Is Fertility Too Low?
Four areas of concern:
 Fear of “population suicide.”
 Excess in the proportion of older
people, involving increased expenses
related to social services.
 Shortages in the labor force.
 Nationalistic fears related to low
resources.
Fertility and Population Growth
in Europe, 2003
Area
Austria
Denmark
Germany
Hungary
Romania
Spain
U.K.
Crude
Crude # children Change
birthrate deathrate /woman 2003-50
9
9
1.3
+1
12
11
1.7
+8
9
10
1.3
-18
10
13
1.3
-25
10
12
1.2
-21
10
10
1.2
0
11
10
1.6
+8
Fertility Decline in World
Regions, 1950-2003
Region
Africa
Asia
Europe
Latin America
North America
Oceania
Average Number of Children
per Woman
1950
2003
6.6
5.2
5.9
2.6
2.6
1.4
5.9
2.7
3.5
2.0
3.8
2.4
Population and social
Problems
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Despite the fact that fertility is declining
in every part of the world, the population
of the world will double within 50 or so
years anyway.
Population pressures can contribute to
numerous social problems including:
– environmental devastation
– poverty
Population in the United States
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Fertility per woman is about 2.1.
Most people who live to age 65 can
expect to live another 15 or 20 years.
Immigration accounts for an increase of
about one million people per year.
Changing Composition of U.S.
Population
Internal Migration in the U.S.
Three trends:
 People are migrating from northern
states into the Sunbelt states of the
South.
 People are leaving the inner cities for
the suburbs.
 People are moving to rural areas and
small towns.
Results of Internal Migration
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Urbanization of poverty as those left
behind are more often economically
disadvantaged.
Declining tax base, especially in urban
areas.
Environmental hazards related to
automobiles required for commuting
from the suburbs to the urban cores.
Urbanization Trends 1950–2025
Urbanization Trends 1950–2025
Theories of Urban Growth
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Structural functional theory - urban
development is seen as evolutionary
and functional.
Conflict perspective - finds nothing
natural in urban growth and decline.
Theoretical Views of Urbanism
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Urban determinism - urban living leads to a
breakdown of everyday life.
 Compositional model - neighborhoods
within cities compose little worlds that have
no particular ill effects.
 Subcultural view - some communities
require a critical mass found only in cities.
Suburban Problems
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3.
Housing costs have escalated beyond
the means of many would-be
suburbanites.
Weak governments are ineffective in
dealing with ill-considered zoning
regulations.
Higher population densities are
producing increased traffic congestion.
Suburban Problems
4.
5.
Excessive dependency on
automobiles.
Social isolation and alienation may
accompany the life of commuters who
come home to housing that
discourages interaction among
neighbors.
Small Town and Rural Living
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25% of Americans live in small towns or
rural settings.
Attracted by affordable housing, low
crime rates, lots of open space, and a
measure of freedom from the infamous
“rat race.”