HONORS ECONOMICSHONORS ECONOMICSPOPULATION, HUNGER & WOMENPOPULATION, HUNGER & WOMEN

MALTHUSMALTHUSTHOMAS THOMAS MALTHUSMALTHUS, AN EARLY ECONOMIST, ARGUED THAT , AN EARLY ECONOMIST, ARGUED THAT DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT HUNGER &POVERTY BECAUSE HUNGER &POVERTY BECAUSE POPULATION POPULATION

GROWTHGROWTH OUTSTRIPPEDOUTSTRIPPED FOOD PRODUCTION FOOD PRODUCTION

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0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5TIME

POPULATION/FOOD

POPULATION GROWTH

FOOD PRODUCTIONFOOD PRODUCTION

SCARCITYSCARCITYMALTHUS DISCOVERED THE CONCEPT OF MALTHUS DISCOVERED THE CONCEPT OF

SCARCITYSCARCITY

SCARCITY: NEVER ENOUGH OF A GOOD (FOOD) SCARCITY: NEVER ENOUGH OF A GOOD (FOOD) TO TO SATISFYSATISFY EVERYONE’S DEMAND EVERYONE’S DEMAND

DEMAND > SUPPLYDEMAND > SUPPLY======

SCARCE = HIGH PRICE (DIAMONDS)SCARCE = HIGH PRICE (DIAMONDS)PLENTIFUL = LOW PRICE (AIR)PLENTIFUL = LOW PRICE (AIR)

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PRODUCTIVITYPRODUCTIVITY GROWS SLOWER THAN GROWS SLOWER THAN POPULATION POPULATION FAMINE FAMINE

ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC GROWTH POPULATION GROWTH POPULATION GROWTH FASTER GROWTH FASTER GROWTH FOOD DEFICIT FOOD DEFICIT

SURPLUS POPULATIONSURPLUS POPULATIONHOW TO KEEP POPULATION UNDER CONTROL? HOW TO KEEP POPULATION UNDER CONTROL?

MALTHUS: KEEP WAGES LOW (MALTHUS: KEEP WAGES LOW (STARVATION WAGESSTARVATION WAGES) & ) & LET THE “EXCESS” POPULATION DIE OF STARVATIONLET THE “EXCESS” POPULATION DIE OF STARVATION

FEEDING THE HUNGRY ONLY POSTPONES & FEEDING THE HUNGRY ONLY POSTPONES & EXACERBATES THE “POPULATION BOMB”EXACERBATES THE “POPULATION BOMB”

======““MORAL HAZARD”MORAL HAZARD”

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KEEPING PEOPLE ALIVE INCREASED THE GAP BETWEEN KEEPING PEOPLE ALIVE INCREASED THE GAP BETWEEN POPULATION & FOOD MAKING THE POPULATION & FOOD MAKING THE CRISIS CRISIS WORSEWORSE

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CHINA ADOPTED “CHINA ADOPTED “MALTHUSIANMALTHUSIAN” (” (ONE-CHILDONE-CHILD) POLICIES) POLICIESUS: “US: “OCTUPLET MOMOCTUPLET MOM””

DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITIONDEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITIONAS COUNTRIES DEVELOP, THEY UNDERGO A AS COUNTRIES DEVELOP, THEY UNDERGO A DEMOGRAPHIC DEMOGRAPHIC

TRANSITIONTRANSITION

POOR SOCIETIES = HIGH BIRTH & DEATH RATES.POOR SOCIETIES = HIGH BIRTH & DEATH RATES. LIFE EXPECTANCYLIFE EXPECTANCY = LOW / = LOW / INFANTINFANT MORTALITYMORTALITY = HIGH = HIGH

BIRTH RATES MUST BE HIGHBIRTH RATES MUST BE HIGH

DEATH RATESDEATH RATES DROP AS HEALTH IMPROVES, BUT SOME STILL HAVE MANY DROP AS HEALTH IMPROVES, BUT SOME STILL HAVE MANY CHILDREN CHILDREN POPULATION EXPLOSION POPULATION EXPLOSION

WHEN COUNTRIES WHEN COUNTRIES MATUREMATURE, BIRTH RATES DROPS & POPULATION STABILIZES, BIRTH RATES DROPS & POPULATION STABILIZES

OVERPOPULATION / UNDERPOPULATIONOVERPOPULATION / UNDERPOPULATION

DEVELOPING WORLD = DEVELOPING WORLD = OVERPOPULATIONOVERPOPULATION, BUT IN , BUT IN DEVELOPED WORLD = DEVELOPED WORLD = UNDERPOPULATIONUNDERPOPULATION

TO MAINTAIN CURRENT POPULATION, TO MAINTAIN CURRENT POPULATION, FERTILITY FERTILITY RATE RATE MUST BE MUST BE 2.12.1

FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOR FORCEFEMALE PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOR FORCE

WOMEN FACE A CHOICE: WORK OR CHILDREN. WOMEN FACE A CHOICE: WORK OR CHILDREN.

A GRAPH OF WOMEN WORKING IS A “A GRAPH OF WOMEN WORKING IS A “M-CURVEM-CURVE” ”

AS AGE OF AS AGE OF CHILDBEARINGCHILDBEARING RISES, THE NUMBER OF RISES, THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN DECLINESCHILDREN DECLINES

SEX RATIO & THE MARRIAGE MARKETSEX RATIO & THE MARRIAGE MARKETSEX RATIOSEX RATIO: NUMBER OF MEN TO WOMEN: NUMBER OF MEN TO WOMEN

BIOLOGICALLY: BIOLOGICALLY: MEN MEN < WOMEN< WOMENPOOR COUNTRIES: MEN > POOR COUNTRIES: MEN > WOMENWOMENRICH COUNTRIES: MEN RICH COUNTRIES: MEN ≤≤ WOMEN WOMEN

======WOMEN ARE WOMEN ARE SCARCE SCARCE (SEX RATIO > 1)(SEX RATIO > 1)

““PRICEPRICE” / VALUE IS HIGH” / VALUE IS HIGHWOMEN WOMEN PRECIOUS OBJECTS PRECIOUS OBJECTS

ROMANCEROMANCE / CHIVALRY HIGH / CHIVALRY HIGHVIRGINITY / CHASTITY PRIZEDVIRGINITY / CHASTITY PRIZED

======WOMEN ARE WOMEN ARE PLENTIFULPLENTIFUL (SEX RATIO < 1) (SEX RATIO < 1)

““PRICE” / VALUE IS LOW (CHEAP)PRICE” / VALUE IS LOW (CHEAP)MARRIAGE MARKET FAVORS MENMARRIAGE MARKET FAVORS MEN

PROMISCUITYPROMISCUITY COMMON COMMON

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMENVIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

HALFHALF OF LATIN AMERICAN WOMEN REPORT BEING A OF LATIN AMERICAN WOMEN REPORT BEING A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCEVICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

RAPE STATUTES WEAKLY ENFORCED; ONLY “RAPE STATUTES WEAKLY ENFORCED; ONLY “GOOD GOOD WOMENWOMEN” CAN BE VICTIMS OF RAPE.” CAN BE VICTIMS OF RAPE.

RAPE = CRIME AGAINST THE RAPE = CRIME AGAINST THE COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY NOT NOT INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL WOMEN WOMEN (HONOR KILLINGS)(HONOR KILLINGS)

MOREOVER, THE LACK OF CONTRACEPTION IN THE MOREOVER, THE LACK OF CONTRACEPTION IN THE REGION MAKES REGION MAKES STERILIZATION STERILIZATION THE MOST THE MOST

COMMON METHOD OF PREVENTING CHILDBIRTHCOMMON METHOD OF PREVENTING CHILDBIRTH

STERILIZATIONS ARE STERILIZATIONS ARE TWICETWICE AS COMMON IN LATIN AS COMMON IN LATIN AMERICA COMPARED TO OTHER DEVELOPING AMERICA COMPARED TO OTHER DEVELOPING

REGIONS AND REGIONS AND FOUR TIMESFOUR TIMES AS COMMON AS THE AS COMMON AS THE DEVELOPED WORLDDEVELOPED WORLD

DEATHS FROM CERVICAL CANCER HIGHERDEATHS FROM CERVICAL CANCER HIGHER

SHRINKING POPULATIONSSHRINKING POPULATIONS

FEWER CHILDREN = SMALLER FEWER CHILDREN = SMALLER LABOR FORCELABOR FORCE

NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO WORK & SUPPORT THE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO WORK & SUPPORT THE EXPANDING EXPANDING ELDERLY POPULATIONELDERLY POPULATION

QUALITY VS. QUANTITYQUALITY VS. QUANTITY

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES

MORE CHILDREN = WEALTH. MORE CHILDREN = WEALTH.

CHILDREN WORK & INCREASE OUTPUTCHILDREN WORK & INCREASE OUTPUTBEFORE BEFORE SOCIAL SECURITYSOCIAL SECURITY

CHILDREN = SOCIAL SUPPORT IN OLD AGE CHILDREN = SOCIAL SUPPORT IN OLD AGE MORE CHILDREN MORE CHILDREN HAPPY OLD AGE HAPPY OLD AGE

FAMILY RESOURCES CONCENTRATED ON THE FAMILY RESOURCES CONCENTRATED ON THE ELDEST MALEELDEST MALE CHILD CHILD RESPONSIBLE FOR PARENT’S CARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PARENT’S CARE

INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIESINDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES

CHILDREN = ECONOMIC CHILDREN = ECONOMIC BURDENSBURDENS

NEED NEED MORE SKILLSMORE SKILLS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

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FEWER CHILDREN = INVESTMENT IN FEWER CHILDREN = INVESTMENT IN EDUCATIONEDUCATION & & WEALTH CONCENTRATIONWEALTH CONCENTRATION

FEWER, BETTER EDUCATED CHILDREN MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE, BUT FEWER, BETTER EDUCATED CHILDREN MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE, BUT CHILDREN BECOME “CHILDREN BECOME “TOO VALUABLETOO VALUABLE” TO RISK. ” TO RISK.

PROMOTES PROMOTES PRIVATE WEALTHPRIVATE WEALTH BUT UNDERMINE THE NATIONAL BUT UNDERMINE THE NATIONAL FINANCESFINANCES AND AND POWER POWER

LABOR FORCELABOR FORCE

BORROWBORROW

SAVESAVE

STATISTICSSTATISTICSMALTHUS’ EXPLANATION HAS BEEN INFLUENTIAL FOR MALTHUS’ EXPLANATION HAS BEEN INFLUENTIAL FOR EXPLAINING ENVIRONMENTAL (TOO MUCH POLLUTION) & EXPLAINING ENVIRONMENTAL (TOO MUCH POLLUTION) &

ECONOMIC CRISES (TOO MUCH DEBT)ECONOMIC CRISES (TOO MUCH DEBT)

SINCE INDEPENDENCE, INDIA’S POPULATION: SINCE INDEPENDENCE, INDIA’S POPULATION:

400 MILLION 400 MILLION OVER OVER 1 BILLION1 BILLION

INDIA HAS INDIA HAS 2.5%2.5% OF THE LAND BUT OF THE LAND BUT 15%15% OF ITS OF ITS PEOPLE (6 TIMES AVERAGE POPULATION PEOPLE (6 TIMES AVERAGE POPULATION

DENSITY)DENSITY)

35% UNDER 1570% RURAL; 35% UNDER 1570% RURAL; 32% ILLITERATE32% ILLITERATE

IN THE 1960s & 1970s, MANYIN THE 1960s & 1970s, MANY PREDICTED AN PREDICTED AN INDIAN POPULATION CRISIS & SUPPORTED INDIAN POPULATION CRISIS & SUPPORTED

DRASTIC MEASURES DRASTIC MEASURES

WHILE INDIA HAS HAD DROUGHTS --- IT HAS NOT WHILE INDIA HAS HAD DROUGHTS --- IT HAS NOT HAD A FAMINE: WHY?HAD A FAMINE: WHY?

MISTAKESMISTAKESTECHNOLOGYTECHNOLOGY

MALTHUS DID NOT APPRECIATE HOW MALTHUS DID NOT APPRECIATE HOW TECHNOLOGYTECHNOLOGY WOULD WOULD IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITYIMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY

TRADETRADE

MALTHUS DID NOT UNDERSTAND MALTHUS DID NOT UNDERSTAND INTERNATIONAL TRADEINTERNATIONAL TRADE WOULD BRING SURPLUS FOOD TO HUNGRY AREASWOULD BRING SURPLUS FOOD TO HUNGRY AREAS

DEMOCRACYDEMOCRACY

DEMOCRACY WOULD LEAD TO A MORE EQUITABLE DEMOCRACY WOULD LEAD TO A MORE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD

UNDERNOURISHMENTUNDERNOURISHMENT VS. STARVATION VS. STARVATION

DATADATA

FAMINES ARE MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN FAMINES ARE MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN FOOD FOOD PRODUCTION IS HIGHPRODUCTION IS HIGH AS WHEN IT IS LOW AS WHEN IT IS LOW

MISTAKESMISTAKES