Pop control :: essays research papers

In the essay â€Å"Population, Delusion and Reality,† Amartya Sen discusses two opposing approaches to population control. These two approaches are â€Å"collaboration† and â€Å"override† The collaboration approach calls for a voluntary choice as well as a collaborative solution to controlling the population growth. The collaborative approach relies on more choices for men and women, a more educated and rational decision on the part of both men and women, and an open arena for a more extensive discussion on such subjects. These men and women are able to make such rational decisions based on the opportunity to be more educated and with a sense of self-confidence when presented with the ability to do so by having public policies such as family planning, health care, bigger and better education facilities and a sense of economic well being. Our ability to solve problems by making rational and educated decisions seems like a better alternative than to forcing a reso lution. The â€Å"override† approach works by means of legal or economic coercion, such as the means that China forces with their â€Å"one child policy.† With this approach, the government may deny individuals of job opportunities or deny housing. These people are left with no other choice but to follow along with what the government would want them to do. Although the collaboration method results in a higher standard of living with higher levels of consumption as well as increases threats to the environment, Sen believes that it is still the preferred method of controlling and curbing the population at hand. For one, â€Å"override† leaves the individual with very few choices. It limits their freedom. As with China, it can lead to neglect and often endangerment to a second child. More often than not, since a male child is favored among the Chinese, female children have been reported to have been severely neglected and speculations that female infanticide may occur. A higher level of consumption isn’t big enough of a problem as some may assume. As Sen puts it â€Å" the worldwide trend of output of food per person has been firmly upward.† The places that have an increase in population are the ones that also seem to have an increase in the production of food. The average American does pose as a bigger threat on the environment than dozens of Third World individuals, but yet these individuals raise a red flag for complications for a denser population on rural resources such as forests, fields, and other greenery.