2.6) Malthusian Theory

Explain theories of population growth and decline

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Malthusian Theory

• Carrying Capacity: The amount of population that a location can support without harming the environment
  • Geographers way of saying “overpopulation”
• Thomas Malthus
  • Lived in England in the 1700s
  • Experinced the Industrial Revolution
  • Rising life expectancy, lower death rates
  • 1798 published An Essay on the Principles of Population Growth

J curve!!

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Malthus’ Claim:

• Population grows exponentially while food output only grow arithmetically.
• This would result in a food shortage and famine due to overpopulation

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Positive checks on population (cause large-scale deaths and widespread misery and papin)

• Famine
• Disease
• war

Negative checks or preventative

• Abortion
• Delayed marriage (until able to support a family)
• Birth Control
• Celibacy

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Criticisms of Malthusian Theory

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1) Factors that have slowed population growth:

• Contraceptives
• Education and advancement of women

2) Factors that have increased the efficiency of farming:

• Mechanized Farming
• Hybrid Seeds
• Chemical Fertilizers

3) New Technologies and Inventions:

• More efficient travel to deliver food to a wider range of consumers without spoiling
• Refrigeration in trucks and railcars as well as homes to preserve food
• Tin Cans to preserve food for longer time periods

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Boserup’s Theory

Boserup’s Claim

• Food supply is impacted directly by population growth. As population increases humans will develop new technologies to also increase production of food supply

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Neo-Malthusians

Neo = New

Concerns about sustainable use of the environment - the earth’s resources cannot only sustain a finite (limited) populaion. Argue for resource conservation

• Decreasing birth rates in developed countries
• Strain on natural resources
  • Water insecurity, Desertification, pollution of air and water, etc.
• Over consumption
• Famine & Starvation

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