Priz Comments

Priz Comments

by Priz Espinosa Tamez -

Szreter (1993) The Idea of Demographic Transition and the Study of Fertility Change: A Critical Intellectual History 

Its interesting to read and understand the context and people involved in the starting classic general theory of demographic transition (1944-1945). It seems that given the resources, data and needs at the time they tried to be practical and classify countries in very broad groups. It seems that at some point they interpreted an association with causation, thinking that if this transition to a demographic equilibrium (fertility controlling), would directly bring economic development. 

Notestein’s approach to fertility behavior was novel, since it acknowledged that the isolated dissemination of information about contraceptives and birth control as an approach to deal with population issues was not effective. Contraception or any other means to control fertility depended on the social setting, culturally embedded and therefore had to be approached differently. 

Canning (2011) Review: The causes and consequences of demographic transition

Advances in public health have impacted significantly the demographics of populations. However, this is not the only driving force, and it has to be sustained through other economic and social aspects, for example increasing the availability of resources (i.e. agriculture). The author emphasized that another cause of fertility decline is the increase in education, that therefore diminishes the number of children.


Re: Priz Comments

by Lufan Wang -
From reading the Canning article, I agree that public health is not the only driving force of the demographic transitions, other social and economic factors are very important as well. For reduction in mortality, policy goal of public health and rudimentary infrastructure of public health service implementation supported by political development played an important role here. And mortality transition, different economic model, and advances in contraceptive technologies may play a key role in fertility transition. Changes in fertility behavior are more like a change in social norms. It is more likely to be affected by community factors. And with the increase in education, population quality has been improved, improvements have been found in physical and cognitive development of children and later onset of disability and physical and cognitive decline in older age.