Demography and Migration Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering demography, population structure, and migration dynamics concepts from Textbook Chapters 3 and 4.

Demography

The statistical study of human populations, including their size, structure, distribution, and changes over time.

Overpopulation

A condition in which the population of a given area exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment and available resources.

Carrying capacity

The maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely without degrading its ecosystem.

Population growth rate

The rate at which the number of individuals in a population changes over a specified period, calculated as natural increase plus net migration.

I=PAT model

An equation ($I = P \times A \times T$) expressing environmental impact ($I$) as the mathematical product of population size ($P$), affluence ($A$), and technology ($T$).

Doubling time

The length of time required for a population to double in size at a constant annual growth rate.

Demographic momentum

The continued growth of a population after fertility rates fall, caused by a large proportion of the population being in their reproductive years.

Pro-Natalist Policies

Government initiatives and incentives designed to encourage childbearing and increase national birth rates.

Anti-Natalist Policies

Government measures aimed at discouraging childbearing and lowering fertility rates to control population growth.

Dependency Ratio

The proportion of the population composed of dependents (those under $15$ and over $65$) relative to the working-age population.

Population Dynamics

The branch of science dealing with short-term and long-term changes in the size, age composition, and spatial distribution of populations.

Infant mortality

The total number of deaths of infants under one year of age per $1,000$ live births in a given year.

Life expectancy

The average number of years a newborn infant is expected to live under current age-specific mortality conditions.

Population Structure

The composition of a population characterized by demographics such as age, sex, and socioeconomic background.

Crude Birth Rate

The annual number of live births per $1,000$ individuals in a population.

Crude Death Rate

The annual number of deaths per $1,000$ individuals in a population.

Rate of Natural Increase

The percentage growth of a population calculated as the crude birth rate minus the crude death rate, excluding migration.

Total Fertility Rate

The average number of children a woman would have during her childbearing years under prevailing age-specific fertility rates.

Replacement Level Fertility

The average number of children per woman needed for a population to replace itself from one generation to the next, typically around $2.1$.

Demographic Transition Model

A model describing the historical transition of populations from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as countries industrialize.

Population pyramid

A graphical display showing the age and sex distribution of a population.

Age structure/Age-Sex Cohorts

The distribution of a population organized by specific age groups and sex cohorts.

Spatial variability/Core-periphery differentiation between population structures

Geographical variations in demographic characteristics resulting from economic, political, and social disparities between developed core regions and underdeveloped peripheral regions.

Brain drain/brain gain

The large-scale emigration (drain) or immigration (gain) of highly educated, skilled, or talented individuals relative to a region.

Transnationalism

The phenomenon where migrants build and maintain economic, social, and cultural ties across national boundaries.

Xenophobia

Prejudice, fear, or hatred directed against individuals from foreign countries or cultures.

Border and sovereignty

The geographic demarcation lines defining political territories and a state's recognized authority to govern its territory independently.

Mobility justice

A framework addressing how social inequalities, power structures, and political boundaries govern access to human movement.

Migration systems

Interconnected flows of people, goods, capital, and information linking specific origin and destination regions.

Climate displacement

The involuntary movement of people forced to abandon their homes due to severe environmental and climatic disruptions.

Climate Refugees

People forced to flee their country or region of residence due to sudden or gradual environmental changes caused by climate change.

Permanent/temporary migration

The distinction between moving to a new location with the intent to settle indefinitely versus moving for a fixed duration before returning or relocating.

Guestworkers

Foreign individuals admitted into a host country to live and work temporarily, usually under specific employment contracts.

Migration

The physical movement of people from one place to another to establish a new temporary or permanent residence.

Migration binaries

Conceptual pairings used to categorize human movement, such as voluntary/forced, internal/external, or temporary/permanent migration.

Voluntary migration

Movement undertaken by choice, typically motivated by economic opportunities or personal preferences.

Forced migration

Involuntary movement driven by external factors such as war, persecution, coercion, or environmental disaster.

Internal/external migration

The distinction between relocating within national boundaries versus moving across international state borders.

Push and pull factors

Conditions that drive people away from an origin location (push) or attract them to a destination location (pull).

Refugee

An individual who has been forced to cross international borders to flee war, violence, or persecution based on race, religion, nationality, or political opinion.

Internally displaced person (IDP)

A person forced to flee their home due to conflict or disaster who remains within their country's borders.

Emigration and immigration

Emigration is the act of leaving one's country to settle elsewhere; immigration is the act of entering a foreign country to reside there.

Remittances

Monetary transfers sent by foreign workers back to individuals or family members in their home country.