Demographic growth has not been uniform over time. Periods of expansion have alternated with others of stagnation and even decline; and the interpretation of these, even for relatively recent historical periods, is not an easy task. The numerical progress of population has been, if not dictated, at least constrained by many forces and obstacles which have determined the general direction of the path of its growth. These can be categorised as biological and environmental. The former are linked to the laws of mortality and reproduction which determine the rate of demographic growth; the latter determine the resistance which these laws encounter and further regulate the rate of growth. Biological and environmental factors affect each other reciprocally and so are not independent of one another. For the most part the mechanisms for re-establishing an equilibrium of population growth are the product of choice (fertility, nuptiality and migration) although some are automatic. The sizes of households and families have varied over time, but they seem to have been similar in different societies despite differences in the types of households. It has to be noted that the European marriage and family formation is neither universal nor is it totally unique.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Pre-Transitional Populations: Historical and Anthropological Demography
- The Population Problem: A Historical Perspective
- Factors Regulating Group Size in Pre-Transitional Societies
- Fertility and Mortality in Pre-Transitional Societies
- The !Kung San: A Case Study in Population Control
- Social Conventions and Population Control
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This text aims to provide an analysis of population dynamics in pre-transitional societies. It explores the historical and anthropological aspects of demography, examining the factors that influenced population growth and the mechanisms employed for population control.
- Historical patterns of population growth and decline
- Biological and environmental factors affecting population dynamics
- The role of fertility, mortality, and nuptiality in population regulation
- Case studies of population control strategies in various societies
- The impact of societal structures and resource constraints on population size
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Pre-Transitional Populations: Historical and Anthropological Demography: This chapter introduces the concept of pre-transitional societies and examines the historical patterns of population growth and decline. It discusses the biological and environmental factors that influenced population dynamics in these societies.
- The Population Problem: A Historical Perspective: This section explores the historical perspective of population growth and how it has been influenced by various factors. The author highlights the slow growth rates throughout history, emphasizing the limited population increase before the Industrial Revolution.
- Factors Regulating Group Size in Pre-Transitional Societies: This chapter delves into the primary factors that regulated population size in pre-transitional societies. These factors include mortality, fertility, life expectancy at birth, nuptiality, environmental constraints, and epidemics.
- Fertility and Mortality in Pre-Transitional Societies: This section examines the relationship between fertility and mortality in pre-transitional societies, highlighting the near equilibrium between these factors. It also discusses the differences in fertility and mortality rates between hunting and gathering societies and agricultural societies.
- The !Kung San: A Case Study in Population Control: This chapter provides a detailed analysis of the !Kung San population, a nomadic hunter-gatherer group in Botswana. It examines their unique marriage and reproductive practices and explores how they managed to maintain a low population growth rate despite high fertility and low mortality rates.
- Social Conventions and Population Control: This section explores the role of social conventions in population control, using case studies of the Netsilik Eskimos, the Rendille tribe, and the Nambudiri Brahmins to illustrate various strategies employed to regulate population size.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Pre-transitional societies, population dynamics, demography, fertility, mortality, nuptiality, environmental constraints, epidemics, population control, social conventions, case studies, !Kung San, Netsilik Eskimos, Rendille tribe, Nambudiri Brahmins.
- Quote paper
- BA (Oxon), Dip Psych (Open) Christine Langhoff (Author), 2002, Pre-transitional populations: Historical and anthropological demography, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/4695
