Chapter 5
Demographic transition occurs in four main stages. Stage one is characterized by high birth rates and high death rates. In particular, the birth rate and the death rate as in equilibrium. The stage existed up to 18th century when the demographic changes began to occur. Diseases and famine are the main causes of death. Stage two is characterized by high birthrate with a decline in the death rates. The agricultural practice is improved with public health increasingly becoming better. The population increases. Stage three is characterized by decline in birthrate. The population tends to stabilize. Urbanization, pressure on agriculture, changing economic times, and contraceptive use leads to reduced birthrates. In stage four, the population becomes stable. Fertility rates lower as people become economically very active and sophisticated medical care and social-cultural changes.
Population density is the number of people per square kilometer. On the other hand, physiological density is the number of people per unit of the arable land. Agricultural density is the ratio of farmers to the available arable land. Each is used in determining various carrying capacities. For, example, the population density can be used to analyze the distribution of natural resources and the pressure the pollution is causing. The agricultural density may determine the amount of arable land available while the physiological density may determine the pressure the population is causing on the arable land. Carrying capacity is the measure of how much a given region may endure. In most cases, density is used to determine the carrying capacity.
Malthus held that population grow exponentially-doubling each cycle whereas food production grows in an arithmetic rate-uniform increment within an uniform interval of time. Therefore, the population would eventually outdo the food production and humans would have no food. The neo-Malthusians engages on the application of the Malthusian theory on population. The current population increase should prompt planning as diseases and famine increase. There is no any significant difference from the original idea; only that emphasis is on planning. Government can take advantage and control the population increase since the high population shall eventually lead to disasters.
Population momentum, the lack of balance between birthrate and death rate is common among the developing countries. It is of interest since the lack of balance leads to population increase with minimal resources. Most of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and India experience such. The fertility rates are highest in the developing countries, and hence calculation of the population dynamics is critical in policy formulation.
Chapter 7
Globalization has led to political integration through universal human rights. The championing of human rights has taken the world as a whole with almost all states acknowledging its importance. Global economic activities such as trade among countries have also led to political integration as trade is closely associated with policy making. My lifestyle has been affected by globalization through cultural awareness i.e. I appreciate many cultures that I could not have appreciated without globalization. Goods from other countries that are unique are also available for me to purchase in the market. I have also used the social medial to learn and interact with many people all over the world due to the advancement in technology.
When one is deciding to migrate there are various considerations, the first one may consider the economic benefits, the infrastructural development, and the social-cultural amenities of the current as compared to the destination. An unemployed young person shall be concerned with the employment opportunities existing in the destination. A retired couple shall be concerned with the social-cultural aspects that shall benefit them in their old age, such as hospitals, water, etc. An un-employed heavy-equipment operator is concerned with the industrialization levels of the destination. In this case, the operator considers the chances of getting employment in any of the factories existing in the destination.
Migration is an agent of diffusion in various ways. First, migration leads to exchange of ideas from one region to another. In this case, the ideas spread across the region as many people migrate and interact. People exchange culture, ideologies and innovations that diffuse with the region.
Recently, I travelled to the countryside, although it is not a long distance, both critical distance and the distance decay applied. The way people live in the countryside is very different from urban life. The critical distances vary depending on age, ethnicity, culture, previous exposure, among other factors.
Chapter 9
Von Thunen held that the central city i.e. CBD is located at the center surrounded by isolated states. In between is isolated the wilderness that is flat with no rivers, mountains, etc. obeying the Euclidian space. Famers in the isolated space would transport produce to the markets following the shortest route possible to maximize on profits. This shall lead to a concentric shape with dairy and fruit farming been near the market, timber and wood, mixed farming and finally ranching on the outside. An increase in the price of a single crop may alter the zone the crop is located. It may eat into the other areas as farmers replace the original crops with the high-cost crop. A decrease in the transportation of the crop may enable it to be grown in the outer layers.
Subsistence economic system mainly involves sustenance economic activities i.e. for survival, e.g. Crop-farming, while commercial, economic system involves commercial activities i.e. for economic gain such as industrialization. Planned economic system taken intentional plans aimed at either subsistence or commercial purposes. The transitional economic system is found in between the commercial and subsistence economic system. In most case, these systems co-exist in a hybrid nature within a single political unit. In this case, subsistence activities lead to surpluses as the commercial activities produce goods for the population or refine the surpluses into finished products within the subsistence zone. All can be planed. Transitional zone has no specific boundary with the political unit.
Green revolution is the period of increased food production between the late 1940s and 1960. On the other hand, bio-revolution is the rapid human transformation in technology to post-humanism. The advantages of the green revolution are the increase in food production. It also reduced death rates. The cons are the increased destruction of the environment and population pressure with its associated ills, such as pollution. Bio revolution has increased the health of the humans and increased food production. It is argued that of the practices produces harmful products to humans causing diseases, such as cancer.
