GLOBAL AND LOCAL DEMOGRAPHY:

POPULATION, MOBILITY AND MIGRATION

DEMOGRAPHY- the study of human populations – their size,
composition and distribution across space – and the process through
which populations change. Births, deaths and migration are the ‘big
three’ of demography, jointly producing population stability or change.
Demography (from prefix demo- from Ancient Greek δῆμος dēmos
meaning "the people", and -graphy from γράφω graphō, implies
"writing, description or measurement"[1]) is the statistical study of
populations, especially human beings.
POPULATION- all the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country.
a particular section, group, or type of people or animals living in an area
or country.

Factors Affecting the Growth of the Population

Fertility Rate

The factor which affects the growth of the population in the biggest way
is the fertility rate. The fertility rate is typically measured by the number
of children per one woman of child-bearing age. If the fertility rate is
larger than 2, the rule of thumb is that the population should rise, as
there are more children than their parents. On the other hand, if this
ratio is below 2, the population of the region may be destined for a
decline.
Mortality Rate Migration

A key factor affecting the growth of the population is the death, or The movement of people from one place to live in another
mortality, rate. Just as the birth of new people increases the population
Migration is a way to move from one place to another in order to live
size, deaths decrease it. The factors that affect the mortality rate include
and work. Movement of people from their home to another city, state
the availability and affordability of quality health care and lifestyle
or a country.
habits – for example, whether they smoke or do physical exercises
regularly. People migrate for a number of reasons. The reasons and causes for
migration would normally fall under these areas:
Immigration and Emigration
Environmental – Better climate, calamities, and natural disasters are
Cross-border migration is the act of people moving from one country to
examples of environmental causes or reasons.
another. It affects the population size of both the host and destination
countries. Emigration is caused by a number of factors, such as fleeing Economic – Moving to find work or moving to follow a particular career
war, finding education, seeking new jobs or joining family members. path is an example of economic cause or reason.
When a person emigrates from a country, its population shrinks. When
Cultural – Religious freedom and education is an example of cultural
someone moves to a country from another place, it is known as
cause or reason.
immigration. Whether or not a person is allowed to immigrate is
controlled by the country that will host this person. Political – Civil war or escaping from political persecution is an example
of political cause or reason.
Government Restrictions
Social – Moving for a better quality of life or moving closer to a family
There are some people in the world, including politicians, who believe
member or friend is an example of a social cause or reason.
that some countries need to have a birth rate restriction -- in fact, China
already has its widely-known one-child policy. Such a restriction would Why do people migrate?
prevent couples from being able to have more than the restricted
Yes, we know that people migrate because of those 5 basic reasons.
amount of children. The argument goes that this type of restriction
However, we often fail to realize their perspective in coming into a
would cause fewer resources to be used and prevent overpopulation.
decision to migrate:
Given the 5 basic causes or reasons for migration, people think of the flooding lack of safety
pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages of moving or staying.
high crime lack of services
People also think not only of the opportunity and the actual conditions
Pull factors are the reasons why people are attracted or pulled to a
of that new location, but also of the opportunities nearby which are
particular area. They are usually voluntary migrations:
attractive.
better services safer, less crime
There are also factors that they need to consider as well as the travel
costs, the travel time and distance, the mode of transportation and good climate political stability
terrain, and lastly, yet not the least, the cultural barriers and biases.
higher employment more wealth
2 Factors of Migration
lower risk from natural hazards more fertile land
Push Factors – These are reasons for leaving a place, which is called
Impacts of Migration
emigrating, because of certain difficulties like food shortage, war, flood,
calamities, etc. Migration is becoming a very important subject for the life of cities.
Many opportunities and attraction of big cities pull large numbers of
Pull Factors – These are reasons for moving into a place, which is called people to big cities. Migration can have positive as well as negative
immigrating, because of an aspiration, dream, or something desirable effects on the life of the migrants.
like abundance in food supply, a better climate, more freedom, etc.
Positive Impacts
As you can see, people are either pulled or pushed to migrate. Either  Unemployment is reduced and people get better job
they involuntarily or voluntarily migrated. opportunities.
 Migration helps in improving the quality of life of people.
Examples of Push and Pull Factors
 It helps to improve social life of people as they learn about new
Push factors are the reasons why people leave an area. They are usually culture, customs, and languages which helps to improve
involuntary or forced migrations: brotherhood among people.
 Migration of skilled workers leads to a greater economic growth
crop failure war of the region.
 Children get better opportunities for higher education.
drought poverty  The population density is reduced and the birth rate decreases.
Negative Impacts TYPES OF MOBILITY
 Horizontal Mobility -horizontal mobility is the transition of an
 The loss of a person from rural areas, impact on the level of
individual or social object from one social group to another
output and development of rural areas.
situated on the same level.
 The influx of workers in urban areas increases competition for the
 Vertical Mobility -Vertical mobility refers to any change in the
job, houses, school facilities etc.
occupational, economic or political status of an individual or a
 Having large population puts too much pressure on natural group which leads to change of their position
resources, amenities and services.
 Upward Mobility -When a person or a group of persons move
 It is difficult for a villager to survive in urban areas because in from lower position to upper position
urban areas there is no natural environment and pure air. They
 Downward Mobility -Downward mobility indicates that one loses
have to pay for each and everything.
his higher position and occupies a lower position.
 Migration changes the population of a place, therefore, the
 Inter-Generational Mobility -This type of mobility means that one
distribution of the population is uneven in India.
generation changes its social status in contrast to preceding
 Many migrants are completely illiterate and uneducated, generation.
therefore, they are not only unfit for most jobs, but also lack basic
 Intra-Generational Mobility -Intra-generational mobility includes
knowledge and life skills.
any social movement a person makes in his or her lifetime
 Poverty makes them unable to live a normal and healthy life. -concerns the ability of a specific individual to move up or down
 Children growing up in poverty have no access to proper nutrition, the ladder within his or her lifetime.
education or health.  Occupational Mobility - Occupational mobility means change
 Migration increased the slum areas in cities which increase many from one occupation to another.
problems such as unhygienic conditions, crime, pollution etc.
 Sometimes migrants are exploited.
 Migration is one of the main causes of increasing nuclear family
where children grow up without a wider family circle.
MOBILITY
-the ability to move freely
-stands for shift, change and movement. The change may be of a place
or from one position to another.