Soc 100
Assignment 10

1. Explain the four stages of demographic transition theory.

The first stage of demographic transition theory is the preindustrial, agrarian stage. In this society they have high birth rates because of the economic value of children as labor meanwhile they also have high death rates due to the low living standards and lack of medical technology. The second stage is the onset of industrialization in which death rates began to fall due to greater food supplies, yet birth rates remain high causing a rapid population growth. In the third stage, a mature industrial society, the higher standard of living makes raising children expensive and without the need for cheap child labor children become a liability so birth rates drop along with the continued drop in death rates. The postindustrial society stage is where demographic transition completes, dual income families with few children become the norm and death rates remain steady causing a slow population growth or a decline. In this theory it is easy to see how a society’s population is linked to its technological development.

2. Explain what you think the urban ecology theories and the urban political economy theory teach us about cities.

Urban ecology theory explains that the first cities emerged in fertile farmlands where the agrarian society’s lived, then as the societies became more concerned with defense they found natural landscapes to protect their cities such as mountains or rivers. Rivers and harbors later became even more important as a means of trade and source of power for the industrial revolution. Social area analysis added that people created neighborhoods with other people they share cultural customs or interests with. Also urban ecology explains how a layout of a city is created by concentric zones with business in the center and factories around them and