Globalization and the Effects on Population

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Globalization and the Effects on Population: A Look at Projections, Theories, and Global Population Practices. “We in the West do not refrain from childbirth because we are concerned about the population explosion or because we feel we cannot afford children, but because we do not like children.” Germaine Greer, an Australian feminist writer, may or may not have been entirely serious when she wrote this statement, but the statement is an insightful one nonetheless. Greer hits on three major underlying themes that affect the study of global population trends. The first and often most important concern in population studies is that of a “population explosion.” Other important factors including the economic impact on population trends and the role of social movements such as feminism also contribute largely to the ability to understand the overall trend of population growth in the past half-century. For years statisticians, social scientists, economists, and even those who claim to be “population specialists” have been calculating and projecting world population growth. The projections inspire theories which ultimately lead to behavioral practices. Interestingly enough these activities appear to be cyclical in nature, a new behavior will cause a shift in numbers which sparks a new projection which leads to a new theory and so on. Furthermore, one could argue that globalization activities in the past half-century have served as the driving force of this cycle. With these thoughts in mind I will present how past population projections and theories have lead to current the fertility practices found in today’s world. In addition the role of the women’s movement, increased contraceptive technology and global family ... ... middle of paper ... ...://www.legacy98.org/move hist.html#Second%20Wave - Hartman, Betsy. Reproductive Rights and Wrongs: The Global Politics of Population Control. Harper & Collins Publishing, New York, New York, 1995 2nd Ed. - Hirshman, Charles “Globalization and Theories of Fertility Decline,” Population and Development Review Vol. 27. pg 118 - Ramos, Fidel “Globalization, Population Policy, and Demographic Development,” Population and Development Review, Vol 23. Pg 919-925. - United Nations Press Release POP/910 United Nations Projects World Population to Stabilize At Around 9 Billion People by Year 2300. April, 2004. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/pop910.doc.htm - World Population to Stabilize at 9 Billion by 2300 CNN News Online, November 5, 2004 http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/05/un.world.population.ap/index.html

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