Sociology 2180A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: The Last Stage, Total Fertility Rate, Demographic Transition

• School: Western University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: Sociology 2180A/B
• Professor: Rachel Margolis

Document Summary

The demographic transition: three centuries of fundamental change. The demographic transition resulted in a decrease in mortality, then fertility, causing population rates to grow then slow down. Thomas malthus coined the terms positive check, meaning that faster population growth would decrease wages causing mortality to rise as a result of famine, disease, or war. He also coined the term preventive check which occurred when decreased wages would cause postponement of marriage, which resulted in prostitution and contraception. Misery and vice kept population in equilibrium. In western europe, women married around 25, while the total fertility rate was around 4 due to the need to establish a separate household, in comparison the us and canada people married younger due to more land. Outside of europe, mortality and fertility rates were higher, while third world countries often only have data available after wwii, which confirms that fertility rates were 6+ in third world countries. Differs in china which was similar to europe.