Wednesday, February 22, 2017

SOC 427: Demography

NATURE OF DEMOGRAPHY
NATURE:
Demography is defined as a study of human population including its size, distribution, composition and the factors that determine changes in its size, distribution and composition.

FOCUS OF DEMOGRAPHY:
1.     It focuses on the size.
2.     It focuses on the distribution.
3.     It focuses on the composition.
4.     It focuses on the population dynamics.
5.     It focuses on the socio economic determinants and consequences of the population change.

SIZE:
The size has to do with the number living within a given space (geographical territory) at a given point in time. The sizes are also useful in terms of schools i.e. in admitting students; in terms of work place i.e. employment etc.

DISTRIBUTION:
The arrangement of population of people in a given space at a given time either geographically or among different groups of people; no population is evenly (equally) distributed; it is distributed unequally; some places will be highly populated while others will be sparsely populated.

COMPOSITION:
The characteristics of the people who form a given population i.e. in form of sex, gender (how many are males and how many are females), what is the dominant occupation of a given population. sex, gender, income, educational composition, occupational composition of people in a given place there is also racial structure (composition) or in form of residential i.e. urban and rural areas, religion, ethnic structure are all parts of the composition of population.

POPULATION CHANGE (DYNAMIC):
Population change has to do with the growth or decline of the total population of a given place; it is characterized by changes.
Factors that affects Change
·        Death
·        Birth
·        Marriages
·        Migration [+/-]
·        Mortality
·        Fertility
·        Mobility

DEFINITION OF DEMOGRAPHY
Demography may be defined as a scientific study of the size, composition and distribution of human population and their changes resulting from mortality, fertility, and migration. Demography is concerned with how large or small populations are.
It is also concerned with how small or large societies are, and it is concern with how populations are distributed in physical space e.g. how urban or rural societies are.
            Demography is also interested in changes over time and the size composition and distribution of human population and how these results from the process of fertility, mortality and migration. Demography is concerned with the description, analysis and understanding of population phenomenon.

DEFINITION OF DEMOGRAPHY
U.N multi-lingual Demographic Dictionary; This defined demography as the scientific study of human population primarily with respect to their size, structure and their development (change).

According to Peter R. Cox defined demography as the study by statistical method of human population involving primarily the measurement of the size and growth or diminution the numbers of people, the properties living beings born or dying within the same area or region and the related function of mobility, mortality and marriage (Note: The issue of distribution is not captured in this definition)

Houser and Duncan (1959); Demography is the study of the size, territorial distribution and composition of population, changes varying, and the composition of such changes, which may be identified as morbidity (life) mortality (death), territorial movement (migration) and social mobility (change of status) .

Composition of population implies
1)    Such threats as sex, age
2)    Such life-circle attribute as educational level, marital and house hold status
3)    Such variable characteristics as occupation, income, socio-economic status etc.

Donald J. Bogue, (1969) Defined demography as the mathematical and statistical study of the size, composition and spatial distribution of human population and of changes over time in these aspect through the operations of the 5 processes of fertility, mortality, marriage, migration and social mobility.

We can therefore summarize the definition of demography as the dynamic and developing discipline and it can be study either from its technical aspects which involves the statistical analysis of the population size and its composition and factors responsible from its growth and development (which is a narrow view of the subject) or from the societal aspects which are concerned with the relationship between demography processes, on the one hand and social economic, political, biological factors on the other hand.

SCOPE OF DEMOGRAPHY
·        Micro Demography and
·        Macro Demography.

MICRO DEMOGRAPHY:
This is the study of a growth distribution and redistribution of the population within community, state, economics area and other local area. It studies small units like individual, family, groups etc. these includes numerical (statistical) and compositional aspect and it performed by using meaningful subdivision of community or local area.

MACRO DEMOGRAPHY:
This deals with such studies as the cause of rapid or slow growth of birth rate, death rate, population growth, sex ratio and health conditions. Many economic issues like unemployment, income condition, standard of living, labour condition and living standard, production, consumption, saving habits, relationship between population and economic development are all parts of macro demographic studies. Also, social problems like mental status, family composition, growing trends about education, religion etc. and problems of migration, urbanization, etc. form of macro demography.
            In the World Population Conferences held by the United Nations ([UN) organization in 1954 & 1968, the following topics were discussed.

1.        Fertility
2.        Mortality
3.        Migration
4.        Genetic Composition
5.        Future Prospects
6.        Population and Resources
7.        Techniques of Measurement
8.        Training of Demographers
9.        Distribution of Population
10.   Family Planning
11.   Population Projections
12.   Demographic aspects of housing, education, saving of investment.

This means that these are with the scope of demography.

SUBJECT MATTERS OF DEMOGRAPHY
Specifically, the subject matters of demography covers;
1.     The size, composition and distribution of human population of a given area at a specific point in time.
2.     Changes in population size and composition.
3.     The component of these changes particularly fertility, mortality, and migration.
4.     The factors that affects these component of change.
5.     The consequences of changes in population size, composition and distribution, all in the components themselves.

Broadly speaking therefore, Demography looks at everything that influences population size, distribution process and the influence that change in population has on other contemporary issues.

A demographer therefore, seeks to provide answers to the following types of questions.
1.     What is the number of people in each country, town, city, community and what is the geographical distribution of these persons by various characteristics?
2.     What are the current trends, levels and patterns of fertility or morality?
3.     Is the population increasing or decreasing and at what rate is the population and how the population increases or decreases?
4.     What are the patterns of movement of the population and how is the population being redistributed over time?
Thus, a demographer is concerned with the careful, objective and systematic study of human population.

RELEVANCE OF STUDYING DEMOGRAPHY
1.     To analyze the pattern that emerges from the population.
2.     To analyze the causes and consequences of population growth.
3.     To create social policies i.e. the pattern of mortality, birth, migration, etc
4.     Provides policies that enhance economic policies. 
5.     To shape population future by projection.
6.     Understanding the consequences of population growth in order to avoid various undesirable happening and planning for the future.
Intellectually, the study of demography provides the necessary tools for planning both on state and national level so also political planning, plan for industries, plan for law and order, education and also planning for health. Practically, the study for demography helps an individual in their business (i.e. marketing), also for the creation of LGAs and States and even seats in the parliament.
            In summary, the data analyses derived from Demographic studies rely upon a specialized set of models and methods including population, composition studies, life table analysis stimulation and mathematical models, survival and ratio. Demography lies at the cross-roads of several other disciplines including economics, sociology, political science and epidemiology.
EMERGENCE OF DEMOGRAPHY
            In 1962, the issues of population become known by a scholar named John Graunt (London); he is generally regarded as the father of Demography and these achievements were a result of his publication (natural and political observation made upon the bill) in 1962. The publication marks the beginning of serious consideration of Demography. The history behind this, is that, in the early 16th century, the city of London ordered that the number of deaths will be recorded in every parish along with the number of christenings (births) [children that have been named] beginning from 1592. It is the record that is referred to as BILLS RECORD. These bills were conducted by each PARISH CLERK recorded at every end of the week will be recorded and circulated on weekly basis. "Note, the period of plague is also referred to as period of epidemics" this plague motivated for the bills of mortality; the cause of death is ordered to also be recorded and the sex of the death not only the number of the deaths, the age of those dying is also added in the 18century. The materials that were compiled from 1592 to1662 were all collected and studied by John Graunt.
In 1962, he analysis the series of volume; Graunt is not a professor but a haberdasher; a person who sells small articles of sewing, such as buttons, ribbons, zip etc. after his analysis Graunt found the following.
1.     In London of that day, deaths exceeded births whereas in rural areas, the reverse is the case.
2.     He discovers the Biological phenomena that at birth the number of male infants exceeded the number of female infants and that there is a distinctive age pattern of death.
3.     He classifies deaths by cause, and learned that the causes of varied from place to place and from year to year example the highest causes of death in the city might be accident.
4.     He is credited from accrued MORTALITY-TABLE that otherwise known as LIFE-TABLE. He discovered from the life table you can predict your expectancy of living.
5.     He undertook & estimates the trends of growths and size of London's population and correctly identifies mortality, fertility & migration as the components of growth.
6.     He was able to evaluate the data used in any research to learn the extent, types and probable courses of errors and to devise adjustment and correction factors to remove bias in statistical measures computed from the data.
7.     He established as a leading goal of population study the development of explanation for the underlined regularities observe. He developed the act of explanation on every discovery made.
These were the observation of john Graunt from an unpromising material made from the BILL OF MORTALITY. He has a friend called WILLIAM PETTY from a society of the influential. He discourse his work with William Petty, his friend and he encourages Graunt with the work. He was the one that circulated the work in the Royal Society. He brought the work to the attention to the scientific world in 1970s. Petty’s work (political arithmetik] was published in 1690. From the two works, Petty generated many original and stimulating ideas of...........................................?
            The empirical research of John Graunt supplement by the insight of William Petty marks the emergence of demography as a scientific discipline. The influence of the two men spread to France and later to Germany and other Europeans countries and during the 18th century, there was an awakening of interest in population study. This often led to the form of compiling of many facts as possible of the entire nation and led to the Early Census of duration or the commencement of the vital registration.

SOURCES OF DEMOGRAPHIC DATA (Information)
Demographic data can be divided into 3 categories;
1.     Population size and distribution.
2.     Population processes (fertility, mortality, and migration).
3.     Population structure and characteristics (composition).
The major source of data on size and distribution as well as structure and characteristics (item 1 & 3 above) is POPULATION CENSUS.
The major source of Population Processes (item 2 above) is registration of statistics (VITAL REGISTRATION) these can be supplement by data from sample survey.
Demography obtains its data from 3 major sources;
1.     National Census.
2.     National Register of deaths, births, marriages, divorces and migration otherwise known as VITAL REGISTRATION. and
3.     Sample surveys.
The above three (3) are called traditional or conventional sources of demographic data. This means that there are some sources that are categories as none traditional or conventional sources.
None Conventional depends on studies or research-specific, it can be territorial-specific. i.e. you want materials on the criminals, you go to the police; they (none-conventional) includes records on family planning, marriage registers; "NOTE" CONVENTIONAL ARE FOUND IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY WHILE THE NONE CONVENTIONAL ARE FOUND IN THE AREAS IT AFFECTS for example; marriage registers are found in courts etc. there are also immigration records, police records, school enrolment registers, abstracts of statistic (registered by Federal Ministry of Statistics), there is also records of employers of firms, citizen ID cards, citizens drivers license, labour office records, hospital records that are found in specific places.
            At international level, the U.N statistical Dept publishes yearly demographic and statistical information from many parts of the world known as the U.N. DEMOGRAPHIC YEAR BOOK, first published in 1948 and then yearly; it provides internationally comparable and comprehensive annual statistics on population in terms of its size, fertility, mortality, urbanization etc. which are put to a wide range of uses by individuals, governments, institutions, private organization and international agencies. The book is indeed a standard reference on World Demography.

CONVENTIONAL METHODS
Population Census:
According to U.N. 1965 census is defined as the total process of collecting, compiling and publishing demographic, economic and social data pertaining to a specified time to all persons in a country or delineated territory (part of a country).

Major Characteristics of Census
Ø Government sponsorship i.e. Census is a massive program and also cost-intensive operation and as such, it can only be only be handled by government. It is the government that has the legal authority and also administrative authority.
Ø Defined Territory; people know the boundary, there is no conflict over the territory e.g. Bakassi.
Ø Universality; Census involves every indigene, both old, and young, males and females in a defined territory; it must include everybody.
Ø Simultaneity; the total population enumeration it took place at the same time in all location, e.g. at 8pm in the in every locations, every census office must be at the first house in that time, everywhere in Nigeria in order to check other duplication. If Census is done in phases, people will move from one place to another for another phase.

Ø Periodicity; Census take place at an interval of 10 years (interval basis) as recommended by the United Nation. Census is conducted period by period Census need to be conducted on a fixed sequence not like this time you conducted after 5years, next time after 10years, 8years etc. it must be fixed sequence; if its 10years, it should be maintained at that 10 years.

RELEVANCE OR IMPORTANCE OF CENSUS
1)    It help in planning, taking some specific decisions.
2)    Census depicts the main characteristics of labour force.
3)    Growth and growth rate could be asserted through Census.
4)    From Census, economic issues could be determined.
5)    From Census, we can establish ethnic groups and how many are they in a given geographical areas.
6)    It helps in manpower development i.e. know the number of employed and unemployed.
7)    Census can be used in economic and social development.
8)    It is essential for assessment for human resources and human needs i.e. when you know the number of a given number of a people, you can provide the necessary needs of that people.
Basically, Census among other things, help planners, government, policy makers to know the number people they are planning for; this means that in order to function properly, National Government must periodically takes National Population Census; take an inventory (i.e. human resources inventory).

Every country need to know how many people are they and how many are they in every kind i.e. males, females olds, children etc. and where they are found. Without a population count of this nature; a picture of low population is distributed and other population facts, government administrators are unable to appreciate currents and impending problem of population.
            Therefore, the primary important of Census is to know the number, distribution and socio-demographic characteristics of people because such pieces of information are necessary to facilitate socio-economic development planning.
            Thus, a popular Census is of great relevant to economic, political and social development of a country. Population Census also is the major source of benchmark (standard) data on the size, structure, distribution of a country's population requirement for both planning and research.

NATURE OF CENSUS DATA
1)    The kind of data needed during Census is a function of national needs.
2)    International comparability.
3)    Public reaction to the question can influence Census data.
4)    Respondent’s interest to cooperate is another factor that influences Census data.
5)    Manpower affects the nature of Census data.
6)    Financial and Processing Resource Agency can affects Census data also.

The following items are standard in every Census of the world.
A.    The geographic items.
Q1.     What is the location at time of Census and/or place of usual residence?

B. Household or family information
Q1.     What is the relationship to the head of the household; to know how many biological children belongs to that household.

C.     Personal characteristics of respondents
Q1.     What is the sex?  i.e. male or female.
Q2.     Age
Q3.     Marital status as at the time of Census
Q4.     Place of birth
Q5.     Citizenship


D.    Economic Characteristics
Q1.     What type of economic activities you are engaged into?
Q2.     What is your occupation?
Q3.     What industry? i.e. is it a banking industry, or is it a manufacturing or textile industry.
Q4.     Status in that organization i.e. are you an employee or an employer?

E.     Cultural characteristics.
Q1.     Language, what is your language?
Q2.     Ethnic or national characteristics

F.     Fertility
Q1.     Total live born (children ever born)
Q2.     Children currently living

G.    Educational Characteristics.
Q1.     Literacy; can you read and write in any language.
Q2.     Level of education, this has to do with formal education.
Q3.     School attendance (in some countries)
U.N lists the above items as the minimum essentials for any Census. Most nations however may desire to go beyond these and collect additional data. The needs for this additional information may be urged by government, private or business organization.

EXECUTING A SCIENTIFIC CENSUS
Before executing any scientific Census, there involve three activities namely;
1.     Pre-Census activities
2.     Activities during Census and
3.     Post-Census activities.
It is important to NOTE that the U.N recommends that before any Census is conducted; the country involved must have taken a minimum of 36 months (3years) of planning before Census is executed.
PRE-CENSUS ACTIVITIES
1.     System of Enumerations; think of the system first. it involve the following.
a.     De-facto: in this, people are enumerated wherever they are found and are been count there.
b.     De-jure: in this, people are counted at their usual place of residence.
2.     Enumeration Area Demarcation; this is also seen as the total activities, it involves;-
a.     E.A (Enumeration Area)
b.     S.A (supervisory area)
Enumeration Area is an area that is given to enumerators in phases, segment etc. the entire country needs to be enumerated into E.As; usually 4 E.As under one S.A depending on the size of the place. Every E.A must have enumeration area map.

3.     Recruitment of Census Personnel; recruit those that are educationally competent, the minimum is OND. U.N recommends to recruit teachers or undergraduate students; the physical maturity of the person to be recruited; he shouldn’t be an infant, emotionally sound, people whose temperament could be checked people; of integrity (morally sound) are also important in the recruitment stage.

4.     Training; massive training of enumerators, supervisors etc. all personnel must be subjected to training. They need to be trained on how to conduct the training. They need to be trained on cultural compliance etc. even their dressing; they need to be trained the way they responds to people’s reaction and so on. The quality of training determines the quality of the Census.
5.     Fixing of Date for Census; the date must not be fixed at the heights of festivity or at the high of seasons i.e. raining season, hamattan season and so on or at the height of festivity like Sallah day, Christmas day etc. it is important to NOTE the timing of the previous Census in order to make comparison
6.     Decision on the type of the questionnaire; this is in order to know whether the Census will succeed or not. The way a question is formed is very important because question can be ambiguous (ambiguous in the sense that if a single question has a different interpretation by the various respondents) question must be so worded in such a way the questions is unambiguous. also the arrangement.
a.     Number of the question to be asked.
b.     Wording of the questions to be unambiguous.
c.      Arrangement of the question in such a way the responds will be flowing.
d.     There is need for pre-test of the questionnaire before Census, there are series of pre-tests. According to U.N there must hold 2 pre-test before Census.
In protest, it takes place in a special geographical location i.e. extremist revering or mountainous location in order to get the feeling and reaction of such people. The range of question asked at Census is the result of last pre-test which is also called TRIAL CENSUS.
7.     Inform the public and obtain their Cooperation; massive enlighten campaign; some people have the perception that the more children they have, is the more tax they will pay, and as such they hide the exact number of their children which is the need to enlighten the public about the importance of Census, educate maiunguwa, the village heads so that they called the town criers to informed the people about the Census activities. There is need to get rid of the negative perception the people have on Census; people must be aware of the Census activities before the Census day.
8.     Test all the arrangements and also the final pre-test or the trial Census.
9.     Plan for processing of data.
CENSUS PERIOD (Field enumeration)
Census day starts at exactly 12mid-night on that day of the Census. At 12mid-night, insane people are located and counted. During Census, enumerators can obtain Census data in two ways, namely;
1.     Direct approach.
2.     Householder approach.
In Direct enumeration, a large number of enumerators are recruited, trained and send to field, assign to particular area to obtain by direct personal interviews; information about every person living within the assigned boundary. In each of the household, a reliable informant will be identified, and relied on for the formation needed and asked him/her.
Householder approach, Census questionnaire is mailed or delivered by hand for each household or living quarter and the household head is saddle with the responsibility for reporting for everybody in the household, this is used in developed societies.

Problems of Census in Developing Societies
1)    Ignorance
2)    Lack of full cooperation
3)    Level of illiteracy
4)    Understanding of government policies and programmes
5)    Irregularities i.e. over-enumeration and under-numeration
6)    Politicization
7)    Accessibility i.e. some houses are not accessible, some people live in poorly topographic areas and might be omitted during Census period.
8)    Poor infrastructural facilities like good roads etc.
9)    Poor preparation example in the case of Nigeria, General Census is holding in 2018 and according to U.N. there must be 36months (3years) preparation before Census is conduct but there is no any preparation.











VITAL REGISTRATION
This consist of continue of registration of some vital events like births, deaths, marriages, divorce etc. information about vital events are usually collected by means of compulsory registration for such event within a short time after occurrence. U.N defines vital registration as follows;
The continues and permanent, compulsory recording of the occurrence and the characteristics of vital events primarily for their value as legal documents as provided by law and secondarily for their usefulness as a source of statistic.
Characteristics of Vital Registration
1.     Vital registration is a national event.
2.     It is a continuous registration event unlike Census which is done on fixed date.
3.     The event is permanent one; there must be permanent structures in place.
4.     It is a compulsory event.
5.     Vital Registration certificate is a legal document.
6.     Universality; it affects everybody, everybody is involved.
Vital Registration is the responsibility of the government or its agency. The National Population Commission is saddled with the responsibility of the vital registration and also Census.
The vital registration must have a system or a structure in place consisting of offices and appoints a registrar.
SYSTEM OF VITAL REGISTRATION (APPROACH OF VITAL REGISTRATION)
There are two systems of vital registration;
1.     Active method (active system of vital registration).
2.     Passive method (passive system of vital registration).
Active method is a system in which an office is created and registrars are appointed who go to the field and collect the date.
Passive system on the other hand, is a system in which an office is created and the registrars are appointed but they wait for people to come to them for the registration instead of them going to the field to collect the data like the active vital registration.


NATURE OF VITAL STATISTICS
The registration of births, deaths, marriages etc. involve lodging of a standard form which give some certain essential information. The form includes the following:
FORM OF BIRTH HAS THE FOLLOWING
1.     Characteristics of the Child; i.e. date of birth, date of registration, sex, types of birth, the legitimacy of the child either within wed-lock or outside wed-lock, place of birth is also very important.
2.     Characteristics of the Parent; i.e. such as date of birth (age of the parent), names of the parents, date of marriage, occupation of the parents, usual place of residence, names and age of the previous children born to the mother; name of the medical personnel that attended the birth of the child.
FORM OF DEATH HAS THE FOLLOWING:
Death registrations forms usually records the name , age, sex, marital status of the deceased, occupation, place of birth, date of deaths; cause of death.
MARRIAGE REGISTRATION FORMS INCLUDES:
1.     Date of birth of the couples.
2.     Occupation of the couples.
3.     Religion of the couples.
4.     Birth place of the couples.
5.     Place of usual residence of the couples.
6.     Previous marital status of the couples.
7.     Dates and place of the marriage.
DIVORSE DATA REGISTRATION FORMS HAS THE FOLLOWING:
1.     Date of divorce.
2.     Date of birth of partners (ages).
3.     Date of marriages.
4.     Number of children before divorce.
5.     Occupation of partners.
6.     Place of usual residence before divorce.
MIGRATION DATA REGISTRATION FORMS HAS THE FOLLOWING:
This is the responsibility of the Nigerian Immigration Officers unlike others where it is the registrar that is saddled with the responsibilities;

1.     Age
2.     Sex
3.     Mental status
4.     Occupation
5.     Nationality
6.     Purpose of the visit
7.     Information of the length of time of staying

ROLE OF VITAL REGISTRATION
Ø As a Legal Document
Ø As a Sources of (Birth Certificate)

As A Legal Document
1.     Prove the right to tour name.
2.     To prove citizenship and nationality or place in the society where the issues and privileges and rights are challenges.
3.     Prove for establishing family relationship i.e. setting inheritance, arranging for transfer of property, insurance claim.
4.     Apply for drivers licenses (it need prove of age in order to get a driver’s licensed).
5.     Social security benefits (i.e. pension).
6.     Application to carry fire arms can be approved when you presented to age (birth certificate) for self defense.
7.     We need birth certificate to apply for marriage without parental approval especially in developed countries.
8.     Exercising of voting rights requires a certain age.
9.     Life assurance policies.etc.
10.Some certain medical service like surgery.etc.
11.It is useful for evaluating effectiveness of some government programmes.

PROBLEMS OF VITAL REGISTRATION
1.     Poor system of vital registration.
2.     Model of vital registration that is in place we are still using passive where the registrar is sitting in his office waiting for the date to come instead of active where he went out and collect the data
3.     The system is not publicized; proportionate numbers of people are not aware which is why people are not registering.
4.     There is no motivation; people are not motivated, i.e. people are asked to pay for the registration.
5.     The fine for not compliance is not enforced that is there is no sanction.
6.     Inaccessibility of the registration offices; the offices are not known by the public especially in the rural areas.
7.     The rural people in particular are ignorant of the use of Vital Registration.
8.     There are alternative legal document e.g. sworn declarations of age etc., instead of taking children for register.
9.     Socio economic effects i.e. births and deaths ceremony.


DEMOGRAPHIC SAMPLE SURVEY
Sample survey is a sub-set of a population or part of the population of an area carefully selected in such a way is a representative of the entire population and possible to make generalization of the entire population.
            Sample surveys of population are the utilized to provide more detailed information which cannot be collected at the full enumeration of the population. Sample survey is employed to arrive at estimate at demographic characteristic, size, mortality, migration, distribution and fertility.

Importance of Sample Survey: it generates data on subject that will be generalized.

Example of Sample Survey: Post-Enumeration Survey [P.E.S.] which is conducted shortly after National Census and to ascertain the sources of error.

Others example includes:
1.     Nigerian demographic and health survey [NDHS] which is conducted in 5years interval by the National Population Commission.
2.     National HIV survey usually conducted by NACA etc.

Uses of Sample Survey
1.     Collect vital statistics where the official registration system is inadequate or non existence.
2.     To collect supplementary and demographic and other data where it is not feasible to collect the same from the population census.
3.     To test the accuracy of traditional and conventional sources of demographic data.
4.     To conduct sample Census.
Generally, the quantity of statistics depends largely on the sample and the design of the sample and the way the study carried out.

Ways to Check Error
A sample needs to be reasonable in size because the larger the sample, the more we can rely on the sample.
Also the sample needs to be taken at random (probability method) in the selection of states, E.A. etc. that is anyone have equal chance of being selected in other to generalize the result.
others sources of demographic data is population registers; population registers are registers that is open to an individual, it is very hard to maintained this, it was tried in Sweden, china, Switzerland, Norway etc.
PERSPECTIVES IN DEMOGRAPHY
Introduction
Population and its dynamics are very critical in understanding social changes in all societies. Population induces changes are very far reaching effects on:
a)     Economic development.
b)    Peace and comfort of society.
c)     Socio-economic wellbeing of a society.
There is a change, and it is very rapid and the change is not evenly felt in the society. NOTE; it took hundred and thousand years for the world to reach one billion; it took 100years to reach 2billion and also it took... etc
The problem is not that the population is growing rapidly but also the dynamics within countries i.e. developed and undeveloped countries example in some countries in Western Europe are afraid that their population is decreasing while others are increasing rapidly. In 1950 half of the 10th most populous countries were industrialized countries but in 2050, demographer predicts that USA will be the only most populous country in the industrialized society. Also in [1950] over 28% of the world's population lived in America and Europe, but today 16%of the world population and by 2050 it will be 12%.  The implication is that by 2050, 88% will be in developing countries which have nothing compared with developed countries where they will have only 12% of the population in view of the above demographer developed theories to explain this problem;
1.     Demographic Transition Theory.
2.     Malthusian Perspectives.
3.     Marxist Perspective. 

DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION
This is a term that was first used by warren S. Thompson (1929) and later on by Frank W. Notestein 1945. They use it to refer to historical process of change which account to the trends in births, deaths, and population growth that occurred in today's industrialized societies especially European societies. This process of demographic change began on the most part of 18th century.
Demographic Transition is not a law of population growth that is, shouldn’t be used as a law of population growth but as a generalized description of the evolutionary process. In other word, it is a theory which is attempted to specify general laws for human population change in size and structures during industrialization.
            Demographic Transition Theory is frequently accepted as a useful tool of describing the demographic history of a country. the Theory postulates a particular pattern of Demographic change from a high fertility and high mortality, to a low fertility and low mortality when a society process from a largely rural, agrarian and illiterate society to a dominant urban, industrialized, literate and modern society.
            The Demographic Transition as a theoretical model is used typical to describe a state of major changes in births and death rates that have occurred almost completely in urban industrialized nations in the last 200years. It is typically demonstrated through a demographic transition model. The theory is based on an interpretation of demographic history developed in 1929 by an American demographer Warren S. Thompson (1887-1973). Thompson observes changes or transitions in births and death rates in industrialized societies over the previous 200years and developed a framework for the model (changes observes). Demographers use the term Demographic Transition to describe the changes in birth rate and death rates during stages of a country's development resulting in new patterns of vital statistics.
            Demographic Transition Theory describes the evolution of a country from a stage of high birth rate and high death rate through a stage of high birth rate and low death rate to a stage of low birth rate and low death rate.
Demographic Transition Theory is typically viewed as a 3 stage process;
1.     That the decline of mortality comes first before the decline in fertility.
2.     That the fertility eventually declines to match mortality.
3.     That socio-economic transformation of a society takes place simultaneously with its demographic transformation.
Demographic transition theory is characterized by configures transition stages; the transition from high birth rates and death rates to low rates; that can be divided in 3stages, however, some scholars have divided it into 4 or 5 stages as follows:
1.     Pre-transition Stage: characterized by high and fluctuating births and death rates with little population growth.
2.     Transition Stage: characterized by high birth rates with rapid population growth [stage of many developing countries].
3.     Post-transition Stage: characterized by low birth and death rate with slow population growth (stages of developed countries).
4.     Stabilization Stage: characterized by birth and death both decline appreciably loading to zero stage (stage of highly industrialized societies).


 
STAGE 1:
            This stage conforms to pre-industrial, agricultural era and it is regarded as the pre-transitional stage in the history of societies both birth rate and death rates were high. The birth rate is high because children were value as sources of labour and also due to lack of effective birth control measures.
            While death rates is high because of low standard of living and lack of medical facility to stems the spread of diseases. Other factors are counted as high fertility was early marriages and low cost of child upbringing while the prevalence of epidermis and natural disaster also kept mortality high. Birth and death rate at this stage were almost uniform leading relatively to stable population.

STAGE 2:
                This stage is regarded as the transitional stage. As societies enters stage two (2) which coincided with the unset of the industrial era, improve medical techniques, sanitations, increased of food production all these lead to reduction of death rates, this is the stage of industrial revolution (18thcentury).
            However, desire for children, reduction of infant mortality and from high to medium fertility rate, resulted in significant population growth. This stage commenced in Europe during agricultural revolution of the 18thcentury. The sources reports that in the 20thcentury the falls in death rates in the developing countries tended to be substantially faster. Countries in this transition stage include; Yemen, Afghanistan, Palestinian territories, sub-Saharan African countries and lots more are suddenly in stage "2".

STAGE 3:
            This is the post-transitional stage, societies have fully developed industrial economy, the standard of living is high and children are no longer needed as workers for building family incomes, during this stage; birth rates falls due to increased use of effective birth control measures and high standard of living. The death rates remain low (at this stage, there is class consciousness; people are thinking of high cost of living i.e. people want to become something and as such, they divert their attention (mind) from producing children to class aspiration).
            Infant and child mortality decline, making couples confident that fewer could suffice to care for them in old age, the industrial economy means that children are not longer needed for economic activities, these coupled with high contraceptive prevalence that keeps fertility low. On the other hand, rapid advances in medical technology, improved sanitary conditions, preventive measures against killer diseases and reduced mortality low. The low birth and death produced a stable population in which growth occurs slowly. according to some authors, some stage "3" countries may even experienced zero population growth that is the point at which nearly equal birth and death rates produce a broad rate of zero; i.e. Germany, Italy etc.

STAGE 4:
            This is also known as stabilization stage, it occurs where both birth and death rates are low leading to a total population which is low and stable. Death rates are low because of so many reasons primarily, lower rate of diseases and higher production of food. The birth rate is low because many people are opportune to choose if they want children which are made possible by improvement in contraception or women getting more independent and work opportunities. During stage "4" population growth stabilizes as birth rates falls in the line with death rates. In some cases birth rates may even drop below the replacement level resulting in shrinking population; e.g. most countries in Europe, Canada, Latin American countries, china, Thailand etc. are in stage "4".

STAGE 5:
            Some people argued that there is stage "5". This is the stage at which both death and birth rates decline seriously


MALTHUSIAN THEORY
MALTHUSIAN belongs to anti-natalism or anti-natalist theory. According to Malthus, there is need for moral constraint in order to check population. This means that one must restrain himself from women. One has to have all the essentials need for life before getting married.
            Malthus was against the welfare system where if a person cannot take good care of his family. He says the poor should not be helped; let them work hard; they must learn to be not poor.
            Malthus belief that a natural consequence of population growth was poverty, since the increase in food supply cannot contained with the natural urge to reproduce. He contended the urge to reproduce always forces population pressure to precede the demand for labour. Thus, over population will forced wages down to the point where people could not afford to marry and raised a family at such low wages with a surplus of labour and the need for each person to work just to earn a subsistence wage, cultivators could employ more labour, put more acres of land into population and thus, increase the means of subsistence. Malthus belief that this circle of increased food resources, leading to population growth, leading to too many people for available resources, leading them back to poverty was part of natural law of population. Each increase in food supply only means that eventually, more people could live in poverty. Malthus essentially blame poverty on the poor themselves because he belief that most human creators were too "inert" too "sluggish" and "averse" for labour, to try to harness the urge to reproduce and avoid the increase in number that will lead back to poverty whenever more resources were available.
            However, according to Malthus, within that poverty though, is the STIMULUS FOR ACTION that can lift people out of misery. If people remain poor, it is their own fault for not trying to do something about it. For that reason, Malthus was opposed to the ''ENGLISH POOR LAW'' (i.e. welfare benefits for the poor) because he felt that they (the Laws) would actually serve to perpetuate miserly, they permitted poor people to be supported by others and thus not feel that great pain, the avoidance of which might lead to birth prevention. Malthus argues that if every man had to provide for his own children, he would be more prudent about getting marriage and raising a family.
NOTE: "within poverty, there is stimulus for action; if one is wise enough. Poverty has a capacity to make you think when you see others enjoying wealth. He said that the street made lot of people rich and lots others criminals e.g. 50cent was a product of the street; poverty has a way of making people creative. For the above reason, he concludes that the poor were responsible for their own poverty because even within poverty, there is stimulus to motivate them to work hard but they refused.

However, to Malthus, the only acceptable means of preventing a birth was to exercise "MORAL RESTRAINT" which is to postpone marriages, remained "Chaste" in a mean time until a man feels secure that, should he have a large family? His outmost exertions (struggle\sweat) can save them from "rags" and "squalid'' poverty, and their consequent degradation in the community; his recommendations are:
1.     Post-pone Marriage.
2.     Remain Chaste.
3.     Until secure enough to raised a family.

Any other means of birth control including contraception, either before or after marriage, abortion infanticide (killing of infants), or any other improper means according to Malthus was viewed as ''VICE'' that would lower the dignity of human nature.
            Moral restraints were a very important point to Malthus because he belief that, if people were allowed to prevents birth by improper means (prostitution, contraception, abortions etc), they will expand the energies in ways that are not economically productive. Borrowing from John Locke, Malthus argued that ''the endeavor to avoid pain rather than to pursue pleasure is the great stimulus for action in life". Pleasure will not stimulate activity until its absent is defined in being painful.
            Malthus suggested that a well educated, rational person will perceive in advance, the pain in having hungry children or being in debt and would post-pond marriage and sexual-intercourse until he was sure that he could avoid that pain. If that motivation existed and the percentage check is operating, than the miserable consequence of population growth could be avoided.

CRITICISMS
There are three major criticisms against Malthus, these are:
1.     Food production could not keep up with the population growth: Because the advent of technology and mechanized farming, Malthus does not foresee the coming of the mechanized farming where the food production will be higher than the population, he only use the local implements of production, shifting cultivation and so on 
2.     The conclusion that poverty was an inevitable result of population growth and;
3.     Believe that moral restraints were the only acceptable preventive check.



MARXIST DEMOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE
Marxist theory of population is also commonly known as the Socialist Theory of population. The theory is drive from the work of Karl Marx and his collaborator or friend "Frederic Engels".
            Marx developed his theory primarily in response to Malthus views in population. However, his ideas are extended to encompass analysis of the relationship between population and capitalism. Marx and Engels have no issues with preventing birth; never the less, there were skeptical about Malthus’s postulate that population growth would outstrip food production. On the contrary, they viewed human activity as the product of a particular social and economic environment.
            The basic Marxist perspective is that each society at a point in history has its own laws of population that determines the consequences of population growth. For capitalism, the consequences are over population and poverty while for socialism, population growth is readily absorbed by the economy with no side effect.
            Marx rejected as baseless the Malthusian that population growth leads to poverty instead that capitalism with its exploitative institutions and its apparatus was responsible for human suffering and poverty. Marx and Engels views large population as a factor for increased productivity since every worker produce more than his/her immediate needs. By implication, the large amount of surpluses created could lead to immerse wealth if properly and equitably disposed or distributed. They also opined that, capitalism works by using labour of the working class to earn profits or capital to buy machines that will replace the laborers. This means that poor were not poor because they over ran the food supply but capitalists had first taken away part of their wages and then taken away their jobs and replace them with machines.
            Thus, the consequences of population as discussed by Malthus were actually the consequences of capitalism.
            Over population in capitalist society was a result of bourgeoisie’s desire for a large labour force that will keep wages low via competition for jobs as well as compel workers to be excessively productive to keep their Jobs. To Marx then, the solution to the problem of population is radical overthrow of capitalism and equitable re-organization of society on socialist principles. they belief that a growing population bears the seed of destruction of capitalism because the massive unemployment that accompanies it would lead to discontent, disaffection, agitations, restiveness and eventually revolution.


COMPONENTS OF POPULATION
1.     Fertility.
2.     Mortality and
3.     Migration

FERTILITY is the actual bearing of children. In other word, fertility is reproductive outcome; it is measured by live births not still births. Fertility is different from fecundity;
            Fertility is reproductive outcome but fecundity is the reproductive potentials (physiological capacity of a woman to bear children) fecundity is biological while fertility is social.
            The outcome of fertility is pregnancy; pregnancy can be terminated, it’s called spontaneous abortion (miss carriage) but when it is willingly aborted, it is called criminal abortion.
CONCEPTS ASSOCIATED WITH FERTILITY
Ø Age of Menarche: the period of bearing children 15years to 45years.
Ø Age of Menopause: the period were a woman reaches the limit of bearing children e.g. 45years
Ø Life Birth: measured by the carrying of a baby immediately after birth.
Ø Still Birth: opposite of life birth.
Ø Induced/Criminal Abortion: When a child is intentionally aborted.
Ø Spontaneous/miss-carriage: When a child is un-intentionally aborted

To what extent is fertility a component of population change? There are some factors that are responsible for fertility.   

Nigeria Disparity Rate
1.     North Central          = 5.7
2.     North East                = 7.0
3.     North West              = 6.7
4.     South East                = 4.1
5.     South South             = 4.6
6.     South West              = 4.1


AT GLOBAL LEVEL
1)    LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT: level of fertility responses to the level of development. It is negatively related to development level of development. It is negatively related to development level (i.e. when one is high, the other is low).

2)    Education: is also a factor in global disparity it is also negatively related i.e. the higher the level of education, the lower the level of fertility. The level of education is high in developed societies and low in developing society. Education can make people postpone marriage and child bearing. Education exposes people to family planning or to plan your fertility.
Education exposes woman to other choices of social symbol: i.e. the pride of illiterate woman is child bearing but educated woman has other sources of status symbol e.g. her certificate as a symbol other than bearing children. Educated woman engage themselves in formal occupation where it is highly regulated and has limits.

Education disparity table of a Woman according to NHDS
a)     No formal Education                   6.7 TFR (Total Fertility Rate)
b)    With Primary Education             6.3 TFR (Total Fertility Rate)
c)     With Secondary Education        4.7 TFR (Total Fertility Rate)
d)    With Tertiary Education             2.8 TFR (Total Fertility Rate)



3)    CULTURE: This is a serious factor in fertility; it has to do with traditional beliefs, traditional values with regards to children and child bearing. culture also has to do with religious beliefs and religious teachings; the values attached to children is very high which resulted to high fertility because children are seen as more hands for labour; for status, generational flow of wealth etc. all are reasons why children are attached to high value in the traditional societies, in developed societies, people do not wait for children to grow up and take care of them instead, they invest and plan for their children.
Cultural ceremonies motivate other women to bear more children in traditional societies. Culture also includes some of religious believes (e.g. ............). there is also a value attached to a woman not able to bear children, there is accusation on them and in some typical traditional societies where they value children a lot, it result to brutal killing of a woman not able to bear children, telling her before or after they killed her that do not come back to this world again barren.

4)    AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE: This is also another factor; it is negatively related or associated to fertility.

5)    STATUS OF A WOMAN: this is measure by her education, formal occupation; a society where the status of a woman is high especially in education and formal occupation, the will be low fertility because he has other means social status rather than just having children like the illiterate woman or in the traditional societies.

6)    HEALTH STATUS OF A SOCIETY: this is another factor and is measured by the availability of health institutions, it is also measured by level of equipment, by availability of drugs that can avert deaths, cure diseases etc. it is also measured by self awareness i.e. sanitation, health awareness etc. it is measured by the availability of health personnel e.g. trained laboratory attendants, nurses, doctors etc. the implication is that, if you ask people to give birth to three (3) children for example, they can live for long because of the well equipped medical facilities and equipment - this is because people have the assurance that if their children are sick, they can be taken to the hospital and taken care of. If a society do not have enough health facilities, they will bear as much children as they could believing that if some died, some will survive and cater for them when they became old, but if they have assurance that if the give birth to few and survive, they will not give birth to many children.

7)    THE USE AND NONE-USE OF CONTRACEPTIVE: Is also another factor to fertility, Contraceptive have the following components which are:
a)     Availability: this has to do with the medical personnel
b)    Acceptability: this has to do with the individual concerns, and
c)     Affordability: has to do with the government subsidizing the contraceptive so that everyone can afford it at a cheaper rate.

8)    SEX PREFERENCE: this is also another factor that affects fertility

No comments:

Post a Comment