Week 1: Demography and Population
What is demography?
The study of populations in size, structure, and changes
Define voluntary migration
Moving by choice
Define urban sprawl
Low-density expansion into rural areas
What is global outsourcing?
Companies producing goods in another country to reduce costs because of cheaper processes
What is GDP?
The total value of goods and services a country produces in a year
Explain what a dependency ratio is
The ratio of dependents compared to the working population
Define "push factor", and give one example of one
A reason that forces people to leave a place
Give two examples of public transit and one positive benefit from public transit + why
Buses, trains, skytrains, seabus
Give TWO negative impacts of global outsourcing.
Low wages
Unsafe work
Child labour
Pollution
High CO2 emissions
Environmental damage
Simply, what is quality of life?
A person’s perception of their well-being
What happens when a country has a high dependency ratio?
There is more economic pressure on the working population because of higher taxes, less workers, etc.
systemically excluded, have less power, and fewer opportunities
Give THREE features of a livable city
Affordability, Reliable Transit, Community, Enough Housing, Walkable Streets, Feeling of Safety, Feeling of Belonging, Sustainable Infrastructure, Green Spaces
What is the order of a global supply chain?
Raw → Manufacturing → Assembly → Shipping → Retail → Consumer
Name TWO factors that can be used to measure quality of life.
Income, health, education, housing
Give ONE example of how government policies or work/societal culture can influence birth rates.
Policies like childcare support can encourage births.
Stressful work culture, certain societal expectations can discourage having children
Explain the difference between displacement and voluntary migration
Displacement = forced to leave; voluntary = choice to move
Explain the difference between high-density and low-density living, and the factors that best describe them
High = many people, apartments, transit; Low = spread out, houses, cars
Why might companies choose to produce goods in multiple countries instead of just one?
reduce costs, increase efficiency, and take advantage of cheaper labour or resources in different places
Explain ONE similarity between gentrification and displacement.
Both involve people being forced or pressured to leave their homes
2 Reasons why an aging population population may create problems for a country AND WHY
Define gentrification. Then, explain one group who benefits, and one group who is harmed by it.
A process of displacement in which Wealthier people move in → prices rise → original residents pushed out
Wealthy residents/developers benefit; low-income residents are pushed out
Who are the TWO groups that have the most decision making power in cities and why?
Government officials (final decisions) and developers (money/investment influence)
Explain how power is unequal between corporations, workers, and consumers.
Corporations control decisions, workers have limited choices, consumers have indirect influence
How are power and inequality CONNECTED and SIMILAR across migration, cities, and global supply chains? Give ONE clear example.
Powerful groups (governments, corporations, developers) make decisions that benefit themselves, while less powerful groups (migrants, workers, low-income residents) are often harmed.