NCERT solutions for सोशियोलॉजी इंडियन सोसायटी [इंग्रजी] इयत्ता १२ chapter 2 - The Demographic Structure of the Indian Society [Latest edition]

One reason why Malthus was proved wrong is the substantial increases in the productivity of agriculture. Can you find out how these productivity increases occurred – i.e., what were the factors that made agriculture more productive? What could be some of the other reasons why Malthus was wrong? Discuss with your classmates and make a list with the help of your teacher.

Try to find out why the birth rate is slow to decline, but the death rate can fall relatively fast. What are some of the factors that might influence a family or couple’s decision about the number of children they should have? Ask older people in your family or neighbourhood about the possible reasons why people in the past tended to have more children.

What impact do you think the age structure has on intergenerational relationships? For instance, could a high dependency ratio create conditions for increasing tension between older and younger generations? Or would it make for closer relationships and stronger bonds between young and old? Discuss this in class and try to come up with a list of possible outcomes and the reasons why they happen.

Do a small survey in your school to find out when (i.e., how many generations ago) the families of your fellow students came to live in your area or place where the school is located. Tabulate the results and discuss them in class. What does your survey tell you about rural-urban migrations?

Explain the basic argument of the theory of demographic transition. Why is the transition period associated with a ‘population explosion’?

Why did Malthus believe that catastrophic events like famines and epidemics that cause mass deaths were inevitable?

What is meant by ‘birth rate’ and ‘death rate’? Explain why the birth rate is relatively slow to fall while the death rate declines much faster.

Which states in India have reached or are very near the ‘replacement levels’ of population growth? Which ones still have very high rates of population growth? In your pinion, what could be some of the reasons for these regional differences?

What is meant by the ‘age structure’ of the population? Why is it relevant for economic development and growth?

What is meant by the ‘sex ratio’? What are some of the implications of a declining sex ratio? Do you feel that parents still prefer to have sons rather than daughters? What, in your opinion, could be some of the reasons for this preference?