![]() In regard to a particular population issue we will discuss (immigration), conflict theory emphasizes the role played by racial and ethnic prejudice in popular views on immigration. The theory blames this growth on the failure of these nations’ governments to make contraceptives readily available and to do everything possible to increase women’s education and independence (which both reduce their birth rates). To the extent this is true, efforts to satisfy the world’s need for food and other resources should focus on distributing these resources more equitably rather than on limiting population growth.Īt the same time, conflict theory recognizes that many poor nations still have population growth that is more than desirable. If population growth is a problem, then, it is a problem not because there is a lack of food and other resources, but rather because these resources are not distributed fairly. To the extent that food shortages and other problems meeting these needs exist, these problems reflect decisions by economic and political elites in poor nations to deprive their peoples of food and other resources they also reflect operations by multinational corporations that deprive these nations of their natural resources. Instead, it assumes that the earth has enough food and other resources to meet the needs of its growing population. Kim Seng – Sugar Factory Producing Smoke Pollution into the Earth – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Ĭonflict theory does not consider population growth to be a serious problem. While too much population growth causes many problems, then, too little population growth also causes problems. At the same time, several industrial nations today actually do not have enough population growth to provide sufficient numbers of younger workers to replace retiring workers and to maintain their tax bases. Population growth leads to certain environmental problems, as we shall see, while environmental problems have important consequences for the populations for whole nations and even the world. Such growth creates crowding and can use up valuable resources such as food, and it can also harm the environment.Īs this discussion suggests, functionalism emphasizes how the population and environment affect each other. However, population growth that is too rapid and severe can be dysfunctional for a society. Industrial societies have lower death rates, but they still need to be able to hire younger workers as older workers retire, while new industries need to be able to count on hiring enough young workers with the skills and knowledge these industries require. ![]() For example, agricultural and other nonindustrial societies need high birth rates to counteract their high death rates. ![]() ![]() The reasons for the importance of population growth depend on the type of a society’s economy. Functionalism also considers pollution and other environmental problems to be an inevitable consequence of today’s society, but it assumes that environmental problems that are too severe are certainly dysfunctional for society. A society certainly cannot survive if it loses members, but it can thrive only if it grows so that it can meet future challenges. Functionalism considers population growth and its various components (birth, death, and migration) as normal and essential processes for any society.
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