LEC: 1 POPULATION STUDIES

Population studies may be defined as the scientific study of the elements of population. This
pertains to the study of fertility rates, birth rates, death rates, mortality levels are many more such
concepts. Population studies deals with the analysis of the different population statistics. This is
extremely helpful is not only identifying the problems within the human society in particular
regions, but also understand the patterns of change, learn how different determinants are related
and then providing the solution apart from making future predictions and engage in efficient
planning.
Demography: is the study of statistics such as births, deaths, income, or the incidence of
disease, which illustrate the changing structure of human populations.
NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF POPULATION STUDIES
Significance of population studies has been realized even since the ancient times. History is a
witness that both in India and United States, in one or another form, some account detailing the
population and its expansion was kept, so that state remained aware of growing population. No
doubt, during those days population explosion did not become a matter of concern, because
needs of growing population were very limited and available resources adequate enough to meet
the ever increasing needs of the continually growing population. Demography today neither be
ignored by the planners, nor policymakers, nor administrators, nor by academicians and
politicians.
Population studies are being increasingly developed and used from different perspectives and
these have today become an integral part of the socio-economic and political systems on one
hand and planned economic development on the other.
Aspects of Population
Under population studies three main aspects are covered namely size, composition and
distribution of population:
(1) Size:
While studying size, that aspect of the study is taken which deals with such problems as to
how many people live in a given population group, what changes are taking place in the size
of the group and how these changes are affected. It also aims at finding out how many
people live in a given place at a given point of time. But this can be accurately found out by
clearly defining the terms ‘place,’ ‘person’ and ‘time’. In any population study, the concern
is not only restricted to finding out how many people live in a particular area at a given point
of time but also to have a comparative approach, namely whether the number is larger than
what it was and what is the future like number etc. Such facts are needed by industrialists;
those concerned with providing social utility services like education, medical aid, legislators,
planners, policymakers; and social scientists.
 It is with the help of these figures that the government and planners can develop their future
plans, strategies and expansion of activities. It is again after getting this actual and estimated
data that production for consumer goods can be enhanced and arrangement for providing
basic necessities and facilities to the society can be made. A demographic should also find
out the extent of changes, but he is also required to find out the causes responsible for the
changes. These can be due to increase in the rates of birth and migration and decrease in
death rates etc. These can also be both due to lack of medical facilities or consciousness
among the masses about their health or availability of health facilities.
(2) Composition: After size comes composition in population study.
All the measurable characteristics of the people who form a given population. The composition
of two groups can differ when one of the groups has larger or smaller proportion of persons with
a given characteristics. The composition of two groups differ in a number of ways. There are,
however, usually two major considerations while selecting characteristics. The characteristics
must be effectively related to demographic processes and that these must the relevant to the
attempt to understand certain specific aspects of national or community life.
Age and sex are the most widely used characteristics of population study. In the words of
Thompson and Lewis, the relationship between the composition of a population and its
mortality, fertility and net migration is a reciprocal one; i.e., composition affects the
demographic process and these processes in turn affect the composition by determining the age
and sex structure of a population.
(3) Distribution: Population distribution study is concerned with such matters as to how, the
people distributed and what is the nature of changes in population distribution. In a
population study one would be engaged in finding out the nature of the world population
living in advanced urban industrial areas, newly developing and growing urban industrial
areas and pre-urban industrial areas and the way in which changes are taking place in each
category. The distribution can also be studied by dividing population and finding out ratio of
people living in small, urban, farm non-farm areas etc.
Basically, changes in population distribution are caused by the cumulative effect of
difference in mortality birth and net migration rates.

Advantages of Population Study

One needs to know the advantages of population study, all over the world, population has
been rapidly increasing. But more saying that it has been increasing does not serve under
purpose. It is with the help of serious study of population problems, that one would come to
know about the extent of increase in population and also about the responsibility of the state
and citizen in respect of social, economic and political problems as well as the state and their
possible solution as well. Significant advantages of the study of population may briefly be
discussed as under:
Political: In the political field on the basis of population studies concerned political
leadership and authorities come to know about the rate at which number of voters (male and
female) is increasing, how the generation gap is now concentrated where more stress should
be laid, what type of arrangements will be needed for conducting elections, which are the
areas from where population is increasing and constituencies delimited accordingly, so that
there are no dummy or semi-dummy constituencies.
Economic: The importance of study of population in the economic field is immense. It is
with the help of population studies that nation would came to know how far the rate of
population growth is keeping pace with economic development and in case both are not
keeping pace with each other, how to adjust these so that economic problems do not
seriously threaten the nation. Obviously if economic crisis, poverty and shortages. The
problem will have to be solved either by checking population growth rate or by speeding up
economic development plans. It is again population study which provides information about
per capita income of the people, their consumption habits, per capita production and
consumption rate, etc. It is desirable that population growth and economic standard of the
people keep pace with each other. If there is serious gap between the two that is bound to
create social and economic disorder.
Planning: Most of the developed countries are now accepting the concept of planned
development. Thus, planning of resources has become an unavoidable process. It is accepted
that limited human and natural resources must be utilized in a planned manner in the best
intent of the society. But, no planning can be a success, unless the planners are aware of the
population growth rates and the areas in which population is much more rapidly growing
than the others. It is with the help of population studies that the planners can allocate
resources to avoid regional imbalances and also provide for more matters to be fed in the
coming years. Needless to say that without proper population studies, the whole plan will
collapse. Again, it is with the help of population data that it becomes possible for the
planners to provide for more educational institutions, hospitals, transport and essential
services and to ensure that the people, whether the number is increasing or decreasing get
what is essentially needed by them.
Social: Population study is very much advantageous in the social field as well. It is here that
the society comes to know what basic needs (social) are unavoidable for the growing
population. It is population study which can help in finding out extra electricity, roads,
water, housing, schools, hospitals and other similar needs of the society on one hand and
shopping centers, hygienic facilities etc. on the other. Again, it is with the help of these
studies that the state can come to know about the magnitude of law and order problem which
growing population will create and how to solve these problems, so that the citizen feel
secure. Since every state is taking more and more responsibilities upon itself, therefore, its
dependence on population statistics is on the increase. In the social field many world states
have given ‘right to work’ and ‘right to leisure’ to its people. Unless they are aware of latent
of burden which they are taking upon themselves, they cannot take heavy responsibilities.
Even developed countries are trying to provide social security to the population by providing
old age pension, health insurance and child care and maternity centers, and so on. These
steps can effectively be taken with the help of population studies alone. Administrative:
Administrations find population studies immensely useful. It is with the help of these studies
that they are in a position to understand where there should be more and where less stress
should be laid down an administration. In fact, whole administrative machinery moves
keeping in view growth of population. An administrative, whether in social, economic or
political field will always have the growth of decline of population in view of smooth
running of administration. Essential for checking regional imbalances: Population study is
essential for finding out population migration trends which result in creating regional
imbalances particularly when due to one scalar or the other there is migration. This trend is
quite visible these days because of the educated people and landless labor are migrating from
rural to the urban areas and from one region to the other. Many serious law and order
problems arise because of it and even some regions became more advanced industrially than
the other, thus creating industrial backwardness in some parts of the country.