Topic 7:

Population Geography

Introduction |Goals | Notes on Readings | Outline Notes |Links to Other Resources

Introduction

Basic concepts of population: distribution, density, growth rate, interpreting population pyramids. Historical patterns in population growth: the J curve and the S curve. Demographic transition: will it predict future patterns of population growth? Factors which affect population growth in the developing world: the Cycle of Doom. Gender roles and world population growth.

Goals

The goals for this section of the course are to:

  • understand ways that population growth and decline acts as a driving force behind change in today's world
  • use the terminology and skills of demography to analyze and predict population trends
  • describe population growth patterns at a range of scales, local to global
  • explain the demographic transition and its role in population trends in different regions of the world
  • understand the implications of continued population growth on economic, social, and political development in different world regions
  • explain the factors which influence population distribution and describe world patterns of population distribution
  • describe the role population growth plays in the Cycle of Doom
Notes on Readings
 You will already have read pp 108-119 to complete the Migration unit. In this chapter pay special attention to the maps to learn global patterns related to population density, fertility, life expectancy etc. Be sure you know the definitions of the key demographic "tools" like TFR and what they mean in real terms, i.e., if a TFR of 1 is good or bad, depending on your perspective. Familiarize yourself with the problems associated with the Baby Boom (pp 98-100), and debates focused on Malthus. The material about the relationship between gender and population growth on p. 123 relates to concepts discussed in class.

Outline Notes

The notes for this section of the course appear on this Word doc. Please remember, they are the barest outline of material covered in class. They are simply a reference, not a substitute for attending class and taking notes from the lecture. Feel free to format them, fill them in to include class comments, etc.

Links to Other Resources

Population Reference Bureau is one of the best single places to start. Of course, the United States Census Bureau has one of the coolest sites (for a geographer) on the Web. To keep up with population growth in the US and the world, look at the Population Clock. This image shows world population growth and comes from World Resources Institute.

Simply note the shape of the J curve.

Oldest People in the World. This story is an account of the factors which MAY affect the age structure of some groups of people. Check out the part about stealing brides!

A series from BBC's program "The World" on China, "The Young China Series," and its population policies, the status of women, internal migration, and related topics is well worth exploring

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