Our World

Summary for Class on 1/31/06

Today in class, we were going to watch the video "Earthly Visions" which included a study guide but couldn't because of technical difficulties. We may try to watch it again tomorrow but it depends on what is wrong with the tape and if we can fix it.

Don't forget to read through pg 30 in your Globalization and Diversity book and finish the question packet that goes with the reading. It is not due until next week but it is a good idea to get it done now. Review your notes from class and the packet questions. Doing this will help future understanding of the chapter.

Today, we also finished yesterdays notes:

• Total fertility rate (TFR): the average number of children born by a statistically average woman

1. World average is 2.8 children
2. Europe is 1.4
3. Africa is 5.2

• Percentage of population under the age of 15

Signals further rapid population growth

• Percentage of population over 65

Older people need more health care, Social Security from younger workers

• Population pyramids: show the gender and percentage of the population in specific age groups

Demographic Transition

• Demographic transition model: four stage model that tracks changes in birthrate and death rates through times as a population urbanizes
• The four stages:

1. Preindustrial- High birth rate, high death rate
2. Transitional- Death rates fall, birth rate stays high *Improved public health, modern medicine *Linked to economic development
3. Transitional- Death rate low, Birth rate begins to fall *Linked to urbanization, industrialization
4. Industrial- Low birth rate, low death rate

Migration Patterns

• Today, about 125 million (2%) of the total world population are migrants of some sort

1. Much international migration linked to global economy
2. Push factors: negative conditions that drive people from a location *cultural oppression, war, unemployment, natural disasters
3. Pull factors : favorable conditions at a destination that attract people *economic opportunity (jobs), freedom, good climate
4. Most migration involves both push and pull factors working together

An Urban World

• Cities are the focal points of the modern globalizing world
• The size and growth rate of some cities is staggering

1. Mexico City and San Paolo (Brazil)

• More than 20 million residents
• And they're adding 10,000 new people each week
• Both are predicted to double in the next 15 years

1. Urbanized population: percentage of a country's people who live in cities

• Currently, 47% of the world's population lives in cities
• Us, Europe, Japan, Austrailia are more than 75% urbanized
• Rates of urbanization in developing world is usually less than 50%, and may be considerably lower

~Streetlight Manifesto~

posted by Anonymous @ 1/31/2006 04:30:00 PM