Demography s Classic Transition Theory - 1464 Words

Demography s classic-transition theory furthers the modernization narrative that is central to this argument. The theory presents a three-phase timeline to explain the reproductive history of all nations. Countries begin in the pre-transition phase where high mortality and high birth rates create slow population growth, which is considered a traditional society. The second phase is the transition where slowing mortality rates and high birth rates produce raid population growth. During this stage birth rate should begin to fall if the country is actively attempting to become a modern society. In the final stage low birth rates and low mortality rates bring the population growth back to a slow or stagnant pace, which is a modern society†¦show more content†¦In contrast, the understanding of factors such as gender to be social constructed and uniquely situated in cultural contexts enables the political economy theory to explain how reproduction is constructed differently across time and space. Moreover, the anthropological foundation of the political economy theory forces such theories to account for the standard of living in its understanding of positive reproductive scenarios. A greater understanding of these theories divergent nature occurs when viewing reproductive systems under both lenses. One reproductive behavior that appears radically different when compared under both theories is the system of Birth Spacing in the Congo. Nacy Rose Hunt presents this practice in her article, Le Bebe en Brousse: European women, African Birth Spacing and Colonial Intervention in Breast Feeding in the Belgian Congo. Birth spacing was a cultural practice where women abstained from sexual intercourse for two or three years while they were breast-feeding (Hunt 1988: 404). This practice aided maternal and infant health and was widely practiced before colonial domination (Hunt 1988: 401). However, the practice lessened under colonial occupation and created an increase i n population growth. Under the political economy framework the effect of colonialism and its pro-natalist values best explains the