Question

Reflect on the different demographic circumstances that gave rise to the Malthusian and Marxian views on population, compared to Mill, Dumont, and Durkheim. To what extent do demographic theories follow the times?

Answer 1

Malthus theory says that-

1. Population is essentially restricted by the means of subsistence.

2. Population invariably rises where means of subsistence rise, except if prevented by some powerful & evident checks.

3. These checks & the checks that curb the superior power of populace & keep its impacts on a level with the means of subsistence , are all capable of being resolved into moral restraint, weakness & misery.

Malthus based these arguments on man’s 2 fundamental traits crucial to the maintenance of life-

(i) The requirement for food, &

(ii) the lust between sexes

Marx went a step further & claimed that starvation was an outcome of unequal distribution of the wealth and wealth accumulation by the capitalists. It hasn’t anything to do with the populace. Populace is dependent upon social & economic organization. The issues of overpopulation & restricts to resources, as expressed by Malthus, are inevitable features linked with the capitalist arrangement of production.

Prologue to the Demographic Transition concept-

Mill-

•The living standard is a chief determining factor of levels of fertility

•Populace is restricted by the concern of want, instead of by the want itself

•Rejects the notion that poverty is unavoidable

•Ideal state = all society’s members are economically comfy, at that point the populace will stabilize/persons will try to progress culturally & socially instead of trying to continuously get ahead economically

•Most essential ingredient to the conversion to a non-growing populace = females don’t want as many offsprings as men do

Durmont-

•’social capillarity’—the craving of persons to climb up the social scale, to augment their individuality and their private wealth

•to climb the social hierarchy needs that sacrifices be made, having less or no offsprings = price that some persons pay to get ahead

•Adds to Mill’s notion of apprehension as best birth curb—social aspiration was the core cause of a slowdown in populace growth

•Thought that socialism would weaken the crabbing for upward social mobility & would hence increase the birth rate

Durkheim-

•Based a complete social concept with causes of populace growth

•Populace growth leads to more societal specialization, as the struggle for existence is more severe when there are more persons

•Growth causes competition for societal resources, to better their advantage in the struggle, persons specialize