Difficulties arise in working on population issues beyond those that are inherent in any complex problem. From denial that the problem exists to cultural norms that make discussing it taboo to systemic racial and gender inequity and historical injustices that have caused distrust, it’s important to understand these concerns and correct inaccuracies in order to move forward.
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Bongaarts, J., & O’Neill, B. C. (2018). Global warming policy: Is population left out in the cold? Science, 361(6403), 650–652. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat8680
What is the research about?
This paper debunks several misconceptions about population, among them population growth is no longer a problem, population doesn’t impact climate change, population policies are ineffective and population policies are too controversial.
What are the key takeaways?
Many governments now support human rights–based approaches to population growth, including women everywhere having the right to freely choose when and how often to get pregnant. Further improvement in addressing this issue can be made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to include population policy in its review of the research on potential solutions. The environmental community and sustainable development organizations should promote equitable population policy through human rights–based reproductive health programs.
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Campbell, M. (2007). Why the silence on population? Population and Environment, 28, 237–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11111-007-0054-5
What is the research about?
This paper reviews several contributing factors in the silence around the subject of population. They include the decline in fertility of developed countries, as well as some developing countries; claims that consumption is exclusively the problem; and a disproportionate focus on examples of coercive family planning and lack of attention to the reality of women also being coerced to have children.
What are the key takeaways?
Population drives many consumption patterns, and it’s easier to change family size than consumption levels, especially if the large unmet need for family planning resources is addressed. Perceptions conveyed by the media may have a greater influence on public opinion than what’s happening on the ground, particularly since the impacts of consumption are more visible than those of population. It’s important to demonstrate that freedom for women to decide the number and timing of children is the key to reducing fertility, not coercion. Most family planning initiatives have the goal of increasing access to family planning resources for people, not controlling their fertility.
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Campbell, M., Sahin-Hodoglugil, N., Potts, M., & Hall, W. (2006). Barriers to Fertility Regulation: A Review of the Literature. Studies in Family Planning, 37(2), 87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4465.2006.00088.x
What is the research about?
This paper reviews barriers individuals face in managing their fertility, which include limited contraceptive options, financial costs, the status of women, medical and legal restrictions, bias from healthcare providers and misinformation.
What are the key takeaways?
Barriers to fertility management are an important factor in the pace of fertility decline in many countries. Having a more complete understanding of the barriers people encounter can serve as guidance to policymakers who have the power to improve access to family planning. The perceived severity of these barriers also influences the potential for public funding for family planning resources, a critical component of the solution.
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Coole, D. (2013). Too many bodies? The return and disavowal of the population question. Environmental Politics, 22(2), 195–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2012.730268
What is the research about?
This paper analyzes five perspectives, found predominantly in developed countries, that drive the pushback on population advocacy work. They include: population-shaming (population work is inherently racist), population-skepticism (population density is beneficial), population-declinism (population isn’t an issue because growth rates are slowing); population-decomposing (only addressing the components of population pressures, rather than population growth as whole) and population-fatalism (the problem is too big and complicated to even try to solve).
What are the key takeaways?
Population-shaming and population-skepticism are especially dismissive because they, respectively, make the work morally untouchable and attempt to negate the issue using pro-growth theories. Until these myths and misconception are addressed head-on, population will be left out of critical conversations about sustainability solutions.
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Kopnina, H., & Washington, H. (2016). Discussing why population growth is still ignored or denied. Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment, 14(2), 133–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/10042857.2016.1149296
What is the research about?
This paper reviews some of the reasons people are hesitant to address human population growth directly, such as the history of coercive actions in the name of population control and focusing exclusively on either the high consumption of wealthier developed countries or those with high fertility rates, but not both simultaneously.
What are the key takeaways?
It’s important for sustainability advocates to collaborate with groups working on women’s rights, social justice and reproductive health to address social and ecological realities. The paper offers strategies like education of women, voluntary family planning, access to contraception and empowering women to choose the family size they want as human rights-based options that can reduce the impact of people on the environment.
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Muanda, M., Gahungu Ndongo, P., Taub, L. D., & Bertrand, J. T. (2016). Barriers to Modern Contraceptive Use in Kinshasa, DRC. PLoS ONE, 11(12), e0167560. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167560
What is the research about?
This study looks into how, despite a combination of reasonable physical access to modern contraception and high unmet need, there is not higher modern contraceptive use in Kinshasa, DRC.
What are the key takeaways?
According to a population-based survey conducted in 2014, the most common reasons for nonuse among women of reproductive age were being unmarried (35.7%), infrequent/no sexual activity (27.1%), lack of knowledge (16.4%), and fear of side effects (13.5%). From this analysis the key barriers are fear of side effects (such as sterility), cost of the method, cultural norms favoring large families, pressure from family members to avoid modern contraception, and lack of knowledge about the type and source of contraceptive methods, as well as misinformation. The gradual increase in modern contraceptive use, which helps support the steady decrease in fertility rates in countries worldwide, is evidence that these barriers are not insurmountable. It’s crucial to understand what challenges remain for those who desire contraception, but still don’t use it to know how access can continue to be improved.
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Potts, M. (2003). Two pills, two paths: A tale of gender bias. Endeavour, 27(3), 127–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-9327(03)00103-0
What is the research about?
This paper provides an overview of the wildly differing treatment of an oral contraceptive (the Pill) and an erectile dysfunction remedy (Viagra) despite both being related to sexual and reproductive health. Every step of the way, from research development and production to commercial approval and promotion, the Pill faced undue amounts of pushback, delays and hindrances compared to Viagra, despite the Pill benefitting hundreds of millions of women and Viagra being used by a comparatively smaller group of men.
What are the key takeaways?
This contrast in treatment across many institutions and processes indicates this is more than merely coincidental. It is suggested that this difference is caused by underlying biological and evolutionary needs for men to control female reproduction. While evolutionary theory can help explain human motives, biology should not be used as an excuse or a moral guide.
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Washington, H., Lowe, I., & Kopnina, H. (2020). Why Do Society and Academia Ignore the ‘Scientists Warning to Humanity’ on population? Journal of Futures Studies, 25(1), 93–106. https://doi.org/10.6531/JFS.202009_25(1).0009
What is the research about?
This paper explains the reason why unsustainable population growth is often ignored. Reasons include politicians’ dependence on “pro-growth” positions, the fact that conversations about reducing population growth are sometimes deemed racist, and oversimplification of the issue through false dichotomies.
What are the key takeaways?
Unsustainable population growth and overconsumption cannot be separated, and both must be addressed simultaneously. Those who support stabilizing and reducing population growth want to avoid the disastrous biodiversity loss and loss of human life that will occur if we continue to push ecosystems to collapse. Non-coercive solution include universal access to safe and effective forms of contraception, improving access to education that includes appropriate sex education and curricula about population and the environment, and adjusting to population aging instead of delaying it.
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