SOC103H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake And Tsunami, Garrett Hardin, Herbert J. Gans
Document Summary
Thomas malthus - founder of demography, populations issues including environmental impact, food supply, and health. "checks" (limits) population growth in line with the food supply. Positive checks (increase death rate): war, famine, pestilence, and disease. Preventive checks (limit birth rate) [encouraged]: abortion, infanticide, sexual abstinence, delayed marriage, and contraceptives. Checks maintaining social equilibrium and danger of losing it- functional analysis. Doubts: unable to measure the "carrying capacity" & technological improvements. Data (brown): irrigated land per thousand people declined in recent years; >1billion hungry. Critical theory denies that social equilibrium is attainable, denies that social arrangement is beneficial. People with power only take actions for themselves. Therefore, denies "overpopulation" and reason it as unfair and harmful distribution of wealth e. g. famines in africa: improper land use, civil wars, tariff, etc. (not overpopulation) Historical support: famine has never been a significant positive check result from overpopulation (nor plagues or epidemics), they are results of uneven economic development.
