Discuss the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Demographic Transition Model

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The demographic transition model was developed in 1992 by Warren Thompson in 1929 to show how countries develop through industrialization and development for LEDC into MEDC. It is a simplification of the change in birth rate and death rate over a long period of time. However it does work and has its strengths it also has its weaknesses. For countries in europe and the USA the model works well and was good to predict where countries are going in regards to development. it also shows change over time and can also shows change over time and can be used as a starting point for discussion about how to help LEDC's to develop. However it does have its strengths; the model is 84 years old and very generalized. There are many countries that don't follow the model such as many of the LEDC's because they don't have to wait for new medicines and improvements in healthcare to be invented because the countries like the USA, UK and other MEDC's have already developed them so LEDC's can move through Stage 1 to Stage 3 faster than the model predicts. It also doesn't take into account migration, diseases like AIDS and government policies such as the one child policy and how these can make a difference on the birth rate and death rate. The demographic transition model is good for making predictions on how countries however because it is so generalized it cant be relied on. Furthermore the model is still changing itself because originally there wasn't a stage 5 which now a few countries such as Japan and Germany are moving
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