Question

Write an essay (about 200-300 words) in which you briefly describe the concept and stages of demographic transition. Be sure to analyze its relationship to population growth trends and explain the dilemma associated with its presence. Further, with specific examples, present your arguments about (1) why so many states are caught in the middle of the transition and (2) what this means for the North-South divide?

Answer 1

The concept behind the "Demographic Transition" comes from the observations made by the American Demographer 'Warren Thompson" who observed the changes in birth and death that happened in a society when it transforms from pre-industrialized to an industrialized society.

Stages

First stage is characterized by the balance between birth rate and death rate, which is the situation in pre-industrialized period. Both death and birth rates were high during this period.

Second stage is the situation where the population increases due to the high birth rate and low death rate. The reasons behind this were improvement in food availability and public health facilities

Third stage is product of low birth rate due to multiple reasons like availability of contraception, urbanization, changes in social status, increase in wages etc.

Fourth stage; both birth and death rates are low; thus the aged population is a distinct feature of this stage.

"Demographic Trap"

Though the world is witnessing the high rate of industrialization, improved life chances and consequent population stability and development, some countries still lag behind in achieving the desired life chances. This is because of low death rate due to improved public health facilities; and high birth rate due to high fertility that emanates from fall in living standard. As a result,poverty increases which puts certain regions in "Demographic Trap" that is used to describe the persistence of the second stage. For example; India

North-South divide

There is a substantial divide between Global North and Global South in terms of demography, industrialization and development. The global south where the industrialization begun its journey naturally improved a lot in terms of life style and culture but the Global north which was under colonial rule for a long period of time and got freedom after a long period of industrialization is in 'demographic trap".