Native Population Decline in Western Europe and Russia - Assignment Example

? Native Population Decline in Western Europe and Russia Word Count 269 Native Population Decline in Western Europe and Russia Introduction Population decline has been an issue in various Western countries for decades now. What started with the reality of massive casualties suffered in the various wars of the early to mid 20th Century, has now turned into a concern over an aging population, coupled with a lower than expected birth rate. There are many reasons why the countries of Western Europe and Russia are particularly affected by this phenomenon, but it goes beyond just mere concern. There is a looming logistical crisis, as the younger population is not growing fast enough in these areas to financially support an aging population that, thanks to better healthcare, is living far longer than society expected. In reality, Western Europe probably has the resources to handle the aging population. What many experts are noting, however, is the reality that many traditional values are slowly being forgotten due a decrease in the native population of the region. The number of immigrants flooding into the region, bringing with them their own culture, values, and ways of life, is slowly blending in with other Western Europe traditions. This is slowly creating a new culture that many fear will mean the loss of many long-standing traditions that have been in place across the continent for centuries. Russia is facing yet a different crisis in terms of their recent decline in the native population. In previous decades, war and cultural conflicts have nearly decimated various sectors of the native population. This is quite troubling to the Russian people and they are fervently seeking out ways to reverse this trend and protect the less dominant groups residing within their borders. This brief paper will examine the issues surrounding this population decline within both Western Europe and Russia in an effort to better understand the importance of reversing this trend moving forward. Western Europe Western Europe has been undergoing a period of decline in terms of native population for quite some time now. Take Germany as an example. In Germany, if you take away immigration numbers, the net population would actually be declining. If these trends continue, Edmonston (2006) points out that, “The German population will eventually decline because of below replacement fertility, if net immigration does not counteract that decrease” (p. 513). Even if immigration does make up for the initial decline, the fear is that German culture will slowly be eroded and rewritten. The argument here is not centered on whether or not immigrants can assimilate into German culture. The reality is that immigrants are fulfilling a labor need and they are adjusting to the German way of life in record numbers. If this trend continues, however, certain traditions and values that Germans have held dear for centuries could easily become forgotten. The reality of population decline and the potential erosion of cultural values is not limited to Germany. All over Western Europe countries are grappling with the reality that native population growth is simply not keeping up with an aging and dying society. From the United Kingdom to France to Scandinavian countries, governments are faced with difficult decisions about how to deal with the problem. Part of the problem in Western Europe appears to be sociological in nature. Europeans, under systems of democracy, have seen less of an emphasis on class divisions in recent years. In addition, the general population is more materialistic than before and young adults have big dreams and ambitions for their life. Because of this, and the sheer expense of raising children, the birth rate has plummeted to levels never before seen. All of these reasons, and others, combine to form a reality where population growth simply becomes difficult to achieve (Ross, 2003, pp. 710-711) Russia The entire region of Russia has been experiencing a decline in their native population as well. In the early 1990’s, by way of example, the total fertility rate in Russia dropped from 2.01 to 1.38. This type of drop has never before been seen during a time of peace (Kharkova & Andreev, 2000, p. 211). This indicates the Russians are reluctant to return to having big families. Recent regime changes have bought an economic boom to the country, yet many people are still leery of the difficult times that preceded the modern era. As such, they are hesitant to have large families because of the financial burden that might bring down the road. Russia is even more unique than Western Europe, however, in the fact that many different ethnic groups reside within the vast landscape of the country. The fear is that as populations continue to decline, many of these groups will find it difficult to thrive, and many may cease to exist at some point in the future (Kharkova & Andreev, 2000, pp. 221-222). People concerned with this issue are now seeking out viable means of reverse the declining native population in Russia. The general population in the country has been declining nearly every year for the past two decades. As Anderson (2002) writes, “This has been viewed as a population disaster, related to high adult male mortality and deterioration of the health care system” (p. 437). The first problem is slowly correcting itself as Russia enters a long time of relative peace. In previous decades, the number of Russian males killed on the battlefield far exceeded the number of natural births. In addition, Russia is not a country known for a large influx of immigrants. This combines for a true negative population growth, which is in sharp contrast to much of Western Europe where immigrants seem to be flocking to. Russia should begin to focus on incentives for childbirth and they need to revitalize a broken healthcare system. As economic prosperity returns to the country, families need to begin to thrive once again. In order to protect the various ethnic groups residing within the country, current conflicts and tensions need to be resolved so that entire villages can be rebuilt and be positioned for success now and in the future. Conclusion . Taking a look around the world, it does appear that less-developed countries are experiencing a population boom, while developed countries are struggling to find a way to even equalize birth and mortality rates. This could possibly be due to a lack of family planning services and a need for more workers in each family to earn income in developing countries, but the fact remains that the countries of Western Europe and Russia are quickly becoming faced with a crisis that threatens their very way of life. Russia has seen its population drop by 80,000 people a year. Some countries in Western Europe are experiencing declines (not accounting for immigration) of up to 6.6% (Sardon, 2004, p. 263). Germany, Greece, and Italy are particularly hard hit. German families average less than one child. Greeks and Italians, frustrated with poorly performing economies, are flooding other countries looking for work, thereby causing their own countries to lose valuable pieces of their heritage. While other countries in Western Europe, such an England and Ireland, are seeing population growth, but only due to foreigners residing within their borders. These foreigners, while contributing to the labor force, are serving to slowly change the cultural landscape of the entire region. The cycle seems to already be set in motion, but geographers and other interested stakeholders are desperately trying to discover ways to reverse the trend. The cultural heritage of Western Europe depends on it. In addition, the very survival of various ethnic groups in Russia hinges on the reality of encouraging native population growth and a return to traditional Russia values that made the country great in the first place. References Adnerson, B. (2002). Russia faces depopulation? Dynamics of population decline. Population and Environment, 23(5), 437. Edmonston, B. (2006). Population dynamics in Germany: the role of immigration and population momentum. Population Research and Policy Review, 25(6), 513. Kharkova, T., & Andreev, E. (2000). Did the economic crisis cause the fertility decline in Russia: Evidence from the 1994 micro census. European Journal of Population, 16(3), 211-233. Ross, E. (2003). Western civilization and the birth rate. Population and Development Review 29(4), 709-714. Sardon, J. (2004). Recent demographic trends in the developed countries. Population, 59(2), 263-314. Read More