Choose one of the following questions to focus Response Paper 1 on – the choice is up to you. Answer all of the questions within your chosen prompt thoroughly in essay format. Use concepts, terms, and theories from our modules to support your claims. Include a title page (not included in the page count), and you do not need to include a reference page as you will be pulling from module material and textbook. Please cite any outside sources.
Submit a 2-3 page essay (size 12 font, double-spaced).
Choose one of the following question-prompts and submit a Word doc
1. Describe the study of demography, what it is, what it considers, the questions it aims to answer, and why it is important. Next, discuss what it means to be a “population actor” and describe a few ways that you are also a “population actor” in your life. Last, summarize the Demographic Transition Theory (DTT) and its four stages. What do you think about the United States being in Stage 4? Do you think the low birthrate is a concern? Why or why not?
2. Compare and contrast Malthus and Marx’s stances on population growth. Summarize their arguments and where they stand (you will need to go beyond my PPT and into the textbook for enough material). Last, what do you think about their arguments? Is one more appealing to you than the other? Why?
3. Discuss the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) and how it relates to fertility. Connect it to Bongaarts’ Proximate Determinants of Fertility (Ch 4) and how people are making choices about their fertility. Last, describe the fertility rate for the United States. Is it above or below population replacement? Are you concerned about birthrates in our country? Why or why not?
4. Discuss the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) and how it relates to family planning, births, and abortions today. Make sure to tie in and describe how the forms of the family have transitioned since around the 17th century in Europe and America leading to the demise of extended families, the changing roles of family members, and the acknowledgment of sexuality, including those who are not heterosexual. Last, what are your thoughts on smaller families and these other changes to the family over the last 100+ years?
