1. Geography, Demography, Ecology, and Society
Chapter 5
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2. How Many Countries Can You Identify?
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Geography
Geography: a social science focusing on spatial interaction of humans and their environments
Why are cities located where they are?
How does environment shape culture?
Why do only certain areas develop?
Geographic literacy very low in U.S.
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Demography
Demography: study of the number and characteristics of a population
Why is population increasing or decreasing?
How is population distributed among regions?
What are characteristics of population?
Physical
Mental
Cultural
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5. Twenty Most Populous Countries
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Population Growth
Death rate
Lower worldwide in recent years
Birth rate
Most important factor determining world population growth
Europe and United States’ birthrates declining
Social and economic forces
Acceptance of birth control
Children not economic asset
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Population Trends
World population growing rapidly since 1800
Factors:
Decline in death rate (due to better sanitation and health care)
Increase in food and manufactured goods (increased standard of living for many)
Unequal growth in developed vs. undeveloped countries
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8. Peak of Population Growth?
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Malthusian Theory
Thomas Robert Malthus, Essay on the Principle of Population As It Affects the Future Improvement of Society (1798)
A population tends to outrun its means of subsistence
Population will increase quickly (geometrically)
Food will increase slowly (arithmetically)
Law of diminishing returns
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10. Malthusian Theory and Technology
Julian Simon, The Ultimate Resource
People are the ultimate resource
People create ideas and technology
Technology can support ever-larger populations
Many demographers disagree with Simon
Cultural divide
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Ecology is rather like sex—every
new generation likes to think
they were the first to discover it.
Michael Allaby
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Ecology
Ecology: science concerned with the interactions between living things and their environment
Human ecology deals with how human societies adjust to their environment
Applies biological science to problems examined by social science
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13. Finding Ecological Balance
Nature seeks ecological balance
Changes very slowly over time
Modern society causes rapid ecological change
Threats:
Global warming
Pollution, acid rain
Loss of fertile soil, animal habitats
Hazardous waste disposal
Rapid migration of viruses
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14. Is Pollution Inevitable?
Pure air and water becoming scarce
Must technology lead to pollution?
“Not In My Backyard” mentality
Do we want more goods or a more pristine environment?
Costs and restrictions prohibitive
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