Malthusian population growth and population pyramid
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Malthusian population growth and population pyramid
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[post_date] => 2024-12-27 07:12:14
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[post_content] => Practice Passage (Question 1-5)
*This passage is the property of Khan Academy and has been reformatted into an AAMC-style interface in their entirety by MedLife Mastery. MedLife Mastery does not endorse and is not an affiliate of Khan Academy.
Economists, demographers, and various social scientists have discussed the issue of population growth. Thomas Malthus, an economist, saw surging population growth as a sign of doom. In 1798, he famously made the prediction that the population would outrun its food supply at a “point of crisis”. He argued that when the means of subsistence (such as food and resources) increases, the population also increases. Population pressures stimulate increases in productivity, but increases in productivity also further stimulate population growth. Population growth is exponential while food supply growth is expected to be arithmetical. Since productivity can never keep up with the potential of population growth for long, there must be strong check on the population to keep it in line with its carrying capacity. However, anti-Malthusians argue that food shortage and starvation are the result of the maldistribution of food and resources rather than overpopulation.
To study population growth dynamics, demographers often utilize population pyramids. Below, by age and sex, are the population pyramids of the US, Mexico, and the world in 1998. Depending on the age structure of the population, some countries have more “population momentum” than others. This concept refers to population growth at the national level that would occur even if levels of childbearing (births) immediately declined. If population momentum is strong for a country, then its population would likely increase rapidly in a short number of years. Just to stay caught up with population growth, a country must double the number of available jobs, housing facilities, food production, water systems, hospitals and other infrastructure. If a country fails to stay even, the standard of living will drop drastically.
Figure 1: Three population pyramids
Data adapted from: Henslin, J. M. (2015). Essentials of sociology: A down-to-earth approach. Pearson.
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[question] => In terms of population structure, which of the following is correct according to the information provided in Figure 1?
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[answer] => 2
[description] => Reason for the Correct Answer:
There is a higher percentage of younger women in Mexico compared to the US.
There is a higher percentage of women in Mexico in age categories between 15 to 34 (prime childbearing years) compared to the US.
A higher percentage of women in Mexico are in their childbearing years compared to the US.
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[0] => Array
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[each_answer] => A. There is a lower percentage of elderly people in the US compared to the world average.
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[each_answer] => B. A higher percentage of women in Mexico are in their prime childbearing years (15-34) compared to the US.
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[each_answer] => C. A higher percentage of women in the United States are in their childbearing years compared to Mexico.
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[each_answer] => D. In the year 2008, Mexico will have a larger elderly population compared to the US.
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[1] => Array
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[quiz_unique_key] => 3873426850
[question] => Which population pyramid best demonstrates “population momentum”?
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[answer] => 1
[description] => Reason for the Correct Answer:
Population momentum refers to population growth at the national level that would occur even if levels of childbearing (births) immediately declined.
Mexico has more people in younger age categories compared to the US and the world average, and more women at the childbearing age.
Mexico is the best demonstration of “population momentum”.
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[answers] => Array
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[0] => Array
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[each_answer] => A. Mexico
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[each_answer] => B. All three pyramids have an equal amount of population momentum.
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[each_answer] => C. The world
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[each_answer] => D. United States
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[quiz_unique_key] => 83407773
[question] => Which of the following sociological theory best encompasses the anti-Malthusian argument of how food resources are unequally distributed amongst the world population?
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[answer] => 4
[description] => Reason for the Correct Answer:
Anti-Malthusians argue that food shortage and starvation is the result of the maldistribution of food and resources rather than overpopulation.
Conflict theory is a perspective that emphasizes the material inequalities of certain social groups or populations.
The anti-Malthusian argument of how food resources are unequally distributed amongst the population is best encompassed by the conflict theory perspective.
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[answers] => Array
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[0] => Array
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[each_answer] => A. Symbolic interactionism
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[each_answer] => B. Functionalism
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[each_answer] => C. Demographic change theory
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[each_answer] => D. Conflict theory
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[quiz_unique_key] => 2261298308
[question] => Which of the following figure best demonstrates a Malthusian argument?
[value] => Array
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[answer] => 2
[description] => Reason for the Correct Answer:
Malthus made the prediction that the population would outrun its food supply at a “point of crisis”.
The figures have lines representing food and population growth. Population growth is exponential, and food output growth is arithmetical.
There is only one figure with an intersection of food and population (a.k.a. “point of crisis”), and shows exponential growth in population and arithmetical growth in food output.
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[answers] => Array
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[0] => Array
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[each_answer] => A.
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[1] => Array
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[each_answer] => B.
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[2] => Array
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[each_answer] => C.
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[each_answer] => D.
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[question] => Researchers want to study the effects of education on population growth. They hypothesize that better quality and quantity of education, particularly female education, would slow the growth rate. Which of the following is correct regarding the research design?
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[answer] => 3
[description] => Reason for the Correct Answer:
The new research design looks at the effect of education on population growth.
Education is the explanatory variable that explains variation in the outcome variable population growth.
Education is the independent variable, and population growth is the dependent variable.
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[answers] => Array
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[0] => Array
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[each_answer] => A. Population growth is the independent variable, education is the dependent variable.
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[each_answer] => B. Population growth is the independent variable, sex is the dependent variable.
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[2] => Array
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[each_answer] => C. Education is the independent variable, population growth is the dependent variable.
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[each_answer] => D. Sex is the independent variable, education is the dependent variable.
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[559619|4] => B
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