DEMOGRAPHY - the scientific study of population, with a specific interest in population growth and the way this is affected by birth, death and migration rates.

 Population processes, size and distribution, structure and characteristics of a specific population

A. FERTILITY - the number of children born to women in a given population.  Biological component = fecundity (physical ability to conceive and bear children) (biological clock = ages of 12-45), social component = social factors in the environment

 Intercourse variables - commencement of and frequency of sexual activity over a given time

 Conception variables - factors that affect the ability to conceive or prevent conception (contraception)

 Pregnancy or gestation variables (miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion)

  MEASURES

 crude birth rate (CBR) - the number of births per year for every 1,000 members of the population

 total fertility rate - measure of completed fertility or total number of children born to women of a particular cohort (group)

 B.  MORTALITY - causes of death ? three main causes: degeneration, communicable disease, products of social and economic environment

 Degeneration - biological deterioration of the body (e.g. cancer, heart disease, stroke, old age)

 Communicable diseases - small pox, cholera, AIDS

 Social and Environmentally related Causes - unsafe products, hazardous working conditions, pollution

 MEASURES

 Crude death rate (CDR) - number of deaths per year for every 1,000 persons

 Infant mortality rate - number of deaths during the first year of life per 1,000 live births.

 Maternal mortality rate - number of women who die per 10,000 live births.

 HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED STATES

 Issues:  cost, unnecessary proceedures, salaries of professionals, technology, aging of population, administration costs (HMOs), malpractice, fraud, duplicate services, increase in specialization, availability of health insurance, mental health

C.  MIGRATION - the relatively permanent movement of people from one place to another.

     Internal vs. International migration

 Internal  -Urban-rural shifts, "frost-belt" to "sunbelt", large to small cities
 International - movement of people across political states
 Refugees, work, religious practice,

     Voluntary / involuntary

 Controversy - Illegal immigration - reside without permission (visa)

 Settlers - come on a more or less permanent basis

 Sojourners - for short term with intention to return

 Commuters - cross the border on a regular basis.

D.  POPULATION COMPOSITION

 Sex Ratio - number of males per 100 females in the population e.g. 100 would mean a balanced population, 106 would mean more males than females in the population.  Affects availability of marriage partners, affected by mortality rates, mass demographic changes (war, migration)

 Age/Sex or Population Pyramid - summary of age and sex characteristics of a given society.
 

E.  US POPULATION

 Trends:

     1.  continuing movement of people to the southern and western regions of the country

     2.  shift from the cities to surrounding suburbs

     3.  rapidly increasing minority populations in some areas.

     4.  increase in the oldest members of population

 F.  WORLD POPULATION

Three phases :

    1)  until 18th century - almost equally high birth and death rates

    2)  1800s (Industrial Revolution) to present - rapid decline in mortality

    3) population explosion - surge in population growth of developing countries.

Malthus and Marx

 Malthus "An Essay on the Principle of Population" tried to explain and project population growth and its consequences

 Marx - population problems not the result of any natural law but capitalist system

 Demographic transition theory - birth and death rates of a country will change as they pass through three stages:
     Stage One - high growth potential - almost equally high birth and death rates
     Stage Two - transitional growth - population explosion due to Industrial Revolution
     Stage three - incipient decline - low fertility and mortality

Underpopulation

Overpopulation

G.  FOOD POLITICS
 

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