SOCA02H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Human Ecology, Gated Community, Total Fertility Rate
Document Summary
Human population in the planet has increased throughout the years: number of humans reached 1 billion in 1804 and 6 billion in 1999, in 2011 world population reached 7 billion. Caused a significant amount of sensationalized concern regarding a population explosion and subsequent catastrophes. Concerned with the effects of unchecked population growth: theorized that natural phenomena would maintain a manageable population size. According to malthus two forces would do this labour: preventive measures. Only forces that can be allowed to control population growth. Malthusian trap = cycle of population growth followed by an outbreak of war, pestilence or famine that keeps population growth in check. Technological advances and food production: the finite ceiling theorized by malthus has yet to be reached. We have the technological capacity to feed world. People are not starving because we do not have the food to feed them. High cost of food, willingness to waste food, inability for nations to feed their populace.
