Category: Demography

Introduction

The knowledge of demographic dynamics is an important field that assist countries to plan for provision of services for its population now and in the future. Throughout Canadian history, demographic patterns have had several consequences for its society as a whole, especially political influence, social programs, and infrastructural needs of some regions within the country (Demographic Division, 2016).

Demographic patterns in Canada arouses interest to study because of the following reasons: based on human population, Canada ranks among the top 20% worldwide alongside being one of the wealthiest countries in terms of per capita indicator of economic development, provision of healthcare services, and so on (Freedman, 2018). By planning with demographic patterns, Canada offers better healthcare services to its population.

Population Forecasting

Canada’s population has been positively growing exponentially and will continue to grow, although not as rapid as it was between 1990-2017. In 1990, the overall population was 27.2 million, which rose to 36.0 million in 2017 (IHME, 2017). Therefore, the increase in population between 1990 and 2017 is 8.8 million, representing a 32.4% growth. By 2100 the population is expected to increase to 44.1 million (IHME, 2017). The antedated increase will be 8.1 million, a 22.5% growth. Beyond 2100, there will be no significant increase in Canada’s population.

The Older Versus Younger People

The age of the Canadian population has been changing significantly since 1990 and is expected to change in 2100. The ageing population is part of the significant changes linked to Canada’s age-sex structure and is caused by the increasing ages of baby boomers (Statistics Canada, 2018). Of the G7 countries, Canada has the lowest population aged 65 and above, and it comes second in the rank after the US (Statistics Canada, 2018). It also has the largest proportion of the working-age population (age 15-64) (Statistics Canada, 2018). The number of people aged 55-64 exceeds those aged 15-24 years. Moreover, the median age is between 34-47 years. Canadian women outnumber men slightly. Nunavut has the youngest population compared to all other provinces of Canada.

Fertility Trend

The total fertility rate indicates the number of children a woman delivers over her lifetime. The fertility rate determines the population of a given country. From 1990 to 2017, the Canadian fertility rate was 1.700 birth per woman, indicating no change in fertility (IHME, 2017). However, in 2100, the total fertility rate is projected at 1.600 births per woman, a 0.100 decline from 2017(IHME, 2017). A decline in the total fertility rate will reduce the Canadian population, consequently improving good health care. This is because a low population places little strain on health resources.

Expenditure on Health

Health spending is the measure of the final consumption of healthcare goods and services. Canada spends much on healthcare, in fact, it ranks 11^th globally in terms of health expenditure (OECD, 2021). Consequently, the huge money spent on health indicates that healthcare services are goods, are highly consumed in Canada. Currently, health expenditure amounts to $4,919 (as of 2017) and will increase to $ 6,639 by 2050 (IHME, 2017).

As highlighted by IHME (2017) , the sources of health expenditure are prepaid private spending, out-of-pocket spending, development assistance for health, and government health spending. Regardless of the year, government health spending contributes the largest portion of health spending (Demographic Division, 2016). The predicted upsurge in health expenditure suggests possible improvement in quality as well as the consumption of healthcare goods and services.

Effectiveness Healthcare Within Canada

How well is this country or territory providing effective, essential health services.

According to IHME (2017), Canadian health system have good access to health care services, with average scores for quality of care and use of resources. The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) effective coverage index represents service coverage across population health needs and how much these services could improve health. From 1990 to 2017, the average service coverage across the population needs have grown from 79.8 to 90.3, a 10.5 increase. This implies that the Canadian health system is effective in meeting the needs of its population. Further, effectivities health system implies adequate health care facilities, enough health care providers, less cost of treatment, and better health care equipment.

The Prevalent Causes of Deaths

The most common causes of death in Canada are lower respiration infection, Alzheimer’s disease, lower respiratory infection, chronic kidney, and falls. In the order of severity, according to IHME (2017), Alzheimer’s disease (45.6%), lower respiratory infection (43.3%), chronic kidney (41.6%), and falls (34.5%) are the most prevalent. The prevalence of these disease has several implications: most Canadian population has poor lifestyle (linked to Alzheimer’s disease), the level of pollution is high (linked to lower respiratory infection), are most diabetic (linked to the chronic kidney), and has large aged population characterized by ageing diseases (fall).

Trend in Child Mortality

Between 1990 and 2019, the child mortality rate has been declining for children under age 1 and 5. In 1990, there were 6.8 and 8.1 deaths per 1,000 live births for children under age 1 and 5, respectively (IHME, 2017). These numbers decreased by 2019 to 4.2 and 4.9 deaths per 1,000 live births (IHME, 2017). More children under age 5 die than those under age 1. Furthermore, infant mortality with the rate highest in Nunavut province, 21.4 deaths per 1,000 live births are registered (SRD, 2021). By extension, reducing the rate of mortality for infants shows improvement in infant care quality and coverage.

Causes of Death and Disability Combined

Causes of death and disability combined are put into three categories: communicable (nutritional, neonatal, and maternal diseases), non-communicable, and injuries. Non-communicable diseases include ischemic heart disease, lung cancer, low back pain, stroke, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), drug use disorders, headache disorders, and diabetes. Injuries are mainly caused by falls, which is one of the greatest threats to healthy living. Over 50% of death and disability combined are caused by falls (IHME, 2017). Of the non-communicable diseases, drug use causes most death and disability, estimated at 30% (IHME, 2017). Therefore, the leading causes of death and disability combined are drug use disorders and falls.

Causes of Death and Disability Compared to Other Locations

Compared to countries such as Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sweden, and the US, Canada is doing better in terms of managing causes of death. Canada offers good care for diseases, including Ischemic heart disease, low back pain, and other musculoskeletal diseases (IHME, 2017). However, Canada is highly affected by diseases such as drug disorders, lung cancer, headache disorders, neonatal disorders, depressive disorders, diabetes, and self-harm. Canada is ranked third after the US and Sweden in terms of the provision of quality healthcare services (OECD, 2021). Overall, Canada has comprehensive healthcare services for ischemic heart disease, where it ranks top.

Risk Factor for Death and Disability Combined

Risk factors to death and disability combined are classified into behavioral, metabolic, and environmental or occupational. Occupational risk is solely the leading of environmental associated death, and it has an increasing trend between 2009-2019 (IHME, 2017). High fasting glucose is the major metabolic risk factor. However, behavioral risk factors contribute to more deaths and disability than the other two categories of risk factors. In particular, drug use and high fasting plasma glucose accounts for a more significant percentage of deaths and disability combine, 45.2% and 43.1% (IHME, 2017). Overall, drug use is the leading risk factor for deaths and disability combined.

Conclusion and Recommendation

Demographic patterns in Canada reflect what should happen in other countries to guide actions regarding the provision of healthcare services. Contextually, high infant mortality rates in Nunavut province and unsuccessful lifestyles have mainly contributed to most deaths and disability. Many deaths and disabilities are associated with metabolic and behavioral risks. Policymakers should allocate more resources to Nunavut province to address the child mortality crisis. Similarly, efforts should be directed to managing lifestyles, including metabolic activities and behavior-based actions to improve the health and safety of individuals. For instance, they should encourage physical exercise and discourage people from drug use.

References

1. IHME. (2017).Canada. Web.
2. Demographic Division. (2016). Canadian Demographics at a glance (2^nd ed). Authority Minister for Statistics Canada.
3. Freedman, B. (2018). Environmental science: A Canadian perspective (6^th ed). Dalhousie University.
4. OECD. (2021). Health spending (indicator). OECD iLibrary. Web.
5. Statistics Canada. (2018). Analysis: Population by age and sex. Web.
6. Statista Research Department. (2021). Infant mortality rate, by province or territory Canada. Statista. Web.

Introduction

The city of Newark, New Jersey, is the largest city in the state, although it is not the state capital. The city has a population a population of 280,139 people, according to the 2016 census (US Census Bureau, 2016 ACS 5-year Estimate, DP05). It is a majority black city, this demographic representing 50.24% of the total population; 24.35% is white, and a total of 36% identifying as Latino (US Census Bureau, 2016 ACS 5-year Estimate, DP05). The city is divided into five political wards; of particular interest is the East Ward, which is where the city was first founded, and its current commercial center. This essay will examine the city and ward’s demographics, specifically, The North and South Ironbound neighborhoods, where such information was available.

Historical Context

Newark, NJ, was founded in 1666 as a Puritan colony, and remained a theocratic settlement until 1746. It grew to a major industrial city throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, but fell into decline around the 1940s. Through the second half of the 20th century, its demographics changed rapidly, the population decreasing from 429,760 in 1940 to the current numbers (New Jersey State Data Center). At the same time, the percentage of non-white citizens kept increasing. Today, the city is said to be going through a renaissance, as the population decrease has stopped and major city projects are being funded to develop the downtown area.

Demographics

Currently, as stated above, the majority of the city’s population is black, with the following distribution in the city in total, compared to the North and South Ironbound neighborhoods:

Table 1: Newark, NJ, population by race. From United States Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates, DP05.

Furthermore, 36% of the city’s population are of Hispanic or Latino origin.

North Ironbound is the more populous neighborhood, housing 43,436 residents, 5 times as many as South Ironbound’s 8,225. The city’s population is 50.9% female, close to the national 51.4%. It is also, in general, younger, with the median age being 33.0, lower than the US average of 37.7. An interesting observation can be made here, as, although the general distribution of people’s sex nearly matches the national, people over 65 are predominantly female (US Census Bureau, 2016 ACS 5-year, DP05). Interestingly, the percentage of married people aged 15 and over is low: 56.1% males and 50.2% never married, compared to the overall US numbers of 36.3% and 30.1% (US Census Bureau, 2016 ACS 5-year Estimate, DP02).

The population’s education statistics are similarly lower than the national. With only 74% high school graduates and 14.4% holders of bachelor’s degrees or higher (US Census Bureau, 2016 ACS 5-year Estimate, DP02). This is reflected by 25.7% of the city’s families whose income is below the poverty line (US Census Bureau, 2016 ACS 5-year Estimate, DP03). One can surmise that these factors are related, creating unfavorable conditions in Newark.

Conclusion

Newark City is an interesting case for US demographic study for its major demographic shift in the last century, as well as its economic decline and starting recovery. After the population decline and shift in the mid-20th century, the number has stabilized around 280,000, although the demographics have changed to predominantly non-white. Furthermore, the city has a significantly higher than average poverty rate and a low educational attainment.

Works Cited

New Jersey State Data Center. “New Jersey Population Trends 1790 to 2000.” Web.

United States Census Bureau. “ACS 1-Year Estimates Data Profiles.” Web.

United States Census Bureau. “ACS 5-Year Estimates Data Profiles. Table DP02.” Web.

United States Census Bureau. “ACS 5-Year Estimates Data Profiles. Table DP03.” Web.

United States Census Bureau. “ACS 5-Year Estimates Data Profiles. Table DP05.” Web.

Introduction

The exploration of descriptive data can provide a lot of insight into the specifics of the community in question. According to Guthrie (2010), even basic data can be numerically expressed and statistically tested, which helps social scientists back up their findings and offer interventions that are based on quantifiable information. For this assignment, the demographic data from the San Diego community in comparison to that of the United States. The five factors that will be compared in this paper are the population, age, foreign-born persons, veterans, and economy. This paper will analyze the data for the chosen county, compare it to that of the state and country, and answer some questions about the community in question.

Data Comparison

This section will compare the census data describing the population of San Diego to that of California and the United States in general. The total population of this county is 3,338,330 (“Census, table results,” n.d.). The age of the population is displayed in Figure 1, where 78% of the inhabitants are over the age of 18 but below the age of 65. The median age of a person living in San Diego is 36,4 years. 54,6% of the individuals in the county are naturalized U.S. citizens, while the rest are foreign-born persons, which accounts for 45.6%.

The next characteristic that will be examined for this population is the number of veterans since this metric should influence the public administration’s decision-making. Interestingly, there are 7.9% of veterans in San Diego, which provides some insight into the type of care and community needs required by this population (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). Moreover, the gender distribution of the veteran population is the following: 88% are male, and 11.6% are females (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). Hence, this community should have the resources and facilities to accommodate the needs of veterans as their population is substantial.

As for the economy, the income and poverty rates assessed by the U.S.U.S. Census Bureau can provide some insight into this metric. In San Diego, the median income of families is $91,034 a year, while couple families earn $107,342 per year (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). Moreover, non-family households earn $53,589 per year (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). In general, the median income for all types of families in San Diego is $83,985. This data is the basic assessment of some common characteristics of the community members who reside in San Diego.

City and State

In this section, the descriptive statistics for San Diego will be compared to that of the population in California. Evidently, the population of the state is larger than that of a county. The population of California, in general, is 39,5 million (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). However, these statistics suggest that the population of San Diego is approximately 10% of the entire population of this state, which requires the public administration specialists to pay particular attention to the community needs of these individuals.

Interestingly, the mean age of an inhabitant in San Diego and of that in California is very similar; in San Diego, it is 34,4, while in California, it is 37. As for the veteran population, it is significantly higher in San Diego when compared to California in general. For California, the percentage of veterans in comparison to the general population is 4.8% in comparison to 7.9% in San Diego (“Quick facts, California, n.d.). The next characteristic in this analysis is the number of foreign-born persons and U.S.U.S. citizens residing in this state. For California, 26.6% of the individuals are foreign-born people, which is significantly lower than the foreign-born population of San Diego (“Quick facts, California, n.d.). This statistic shows a significant population-level difference between the community of California and that of San Diego and points to the need of having public resources that support immigrants in San Diego.

In terms of household economy, there are slight differences between the earnings of households in California and those in San Diego. In California, the median household income is $80,840, which is by $3,145 per year less. The poverty rates in California are also 1.5% higher when compared to San Diego. Based on this, one can assume that the citizens of San Diego are more well-off economically when compared to people living in California in general.

City and Country

For this section, the descriptive statistics of San Diego’s population will be compared to those of the citizens in the United States. Firstly, the population of the United States is approximately 329,5 million (“U.S.U.S. and world population clock,” 2022). The mean age of the population in the country is 38.2, which means that the population of the people who live in San Diego is much younger when compared to that of the state in general. Next, the percentage of veterans is 7% of the adult population, which is consistent with the statistics from San Diego (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). Finally, as for the household economy, the median income of the U.S.U.S. population is $67,521, while the population poverty rate is 11.4% (Shrider et al., 2021). This means that in terms of earnings, the population of San Diego is wealthier when compared to the general population in the country. This can mean that the economic development in this region is better when compared to other countries, and therefore, there are more community development opportunities.

Data Analysis

The facts about the population of San Diego allow one to create a basic profile of this community. Moreover, comparing the data to that of the state and country allows one to see the key differences and whether there are some population needs that are not addressed because the community of San Diego differs greatly from that of the U.S.U.S. in general. For example, the population in San Diego is younger than that of the country. A large number of individuals residing there are foreign-born individuals, and almost ten percent of the population is veterans. Hence, the community has clear special needs, such as resources and support centers for foreign nationals, for example, for those who need to learn English or require community support. The veteran population also may have special needs, such as mental health support centers.

Additionally, the examined data allows one to find the potential issues that the community might be facing. For instance, with San Diego, there is an evident issue of veteran care since 7.9% of the population are veterans (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). Veterans typically face a number of healthcare issues, including mental health struggles due to their work that require additional attention. The second issue worth paying attention to is income inequality, as there is a substantial difference in earnings when comparing households and non-family households, where the earnings difference is approximately $10,000 (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). Although, in general, the population of San Diego earns more when compared to the state and country citizens, these are the median statistics, and the higher household income can result in high homeownership prices and cost of living. This may be an issue for the individuals earning below the median. The community might be facing these issues due to the high level of economic development in San Diego. This county has a number of I.T.I.T. companies who are the major employers providing high salaries for their employees. The census data explored in this paper supports the program development because it helps identify the populations that require additional attention and the types of issues they might be facing.

Conclusion

The selected facts emphasize some key differences between the selected community and the state in general. The data comparison between the county and the state shows that there are many demographic similarities, for example, in terms of age and percentage of veterans. However, when comparing information about San Diego County to that of the U.S.U.S., many differences arise. The primary distinction is the household income and the economic development levels, which are much higher in San Diego when compared to the rest of the country.

References

Guthrie, G. (2010). Basic research methods. SAGE.

Quick facts, California. (n.d.). Web.

Shrider, E. A., Kollar, M., Chen, F., & Semega, J. (2021). Income and poverty in the United States: 2020. Web.

United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Census. Web.

United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). San Diego County, California. Web.

U.S.U.S. and world population clock. (2022). Web.

Demographic changes since 2000

Currently, United States is the third largest populous country in the world with over 316.8 million people. In relation to the year two thousand, the population has grown by over 17%. The growths in population have been observed in all aspects. According to the Census Bureau statistics, over 80% of the US populations live in cities making US the most urbanized country (Beavers & Amico, 2005). Considering the fertility rates, it is estimated that every American woman have 1.8 children. In other words, supposing that all women belong to a household, then each household would have either one or two children. The fertility rate of over 1.8 is below the world average, which is approximated to be over 2.1% (Beavers & Amico, 2005).

In relation to other developed countries, the America fertility rate is still considered below average. However, growth in population is still higher. Immigrations contribute to considerable increase in population. In addition, the fertility rates in immigrant women are also high. Estimations are that in the next five decades, the immigrant and minority populations will contribute about 63% of the total children born in America (Guzmán, 2001). However, in the last decade, the number of children has increased by 17.7%. Under the category, minority groups including the Hispanics and Latinos have contributed 38.4%.

In terms of age, people below twenty years have increased by over 1.3% while people above sixty-five years have increased by about 0.8%. People under the age of twenty constitute a quarter of the total population. Whites comprise of the highest percentage yet have negligible increase in the population in relation to non-whites and the minority groups (Beavers & Amico, 2005). The populations of non-whites have doubled with an increase of over 1.3% since two thousand. Hispanic and Latino Americans contributed to the highest total growth of over 69% since two thousand and five (Guzmán, 2001).

The immigrants and their descendants are expected to contribute most of the population changes in the next decades. According to the estimations of the Census Bureau, about 53% of the children below 1 year are from the minority groups (Guzmán, 2001). The expected growth in the next five decades is over 38% with minority group contributing half of the total growth. The census bureau also indicates significant increase in the American birth rate in relation to death rates. High birth rates are observed among the minority groups. The containment of infant mortality and increased fertility rates particularly among the immigrant minority groups more children are expected to join schools (Guzmán, 2001). The changes in the population measures are critical for the policy makers to relook into the strategy framework emphasizing on the education programs for the expected-increased number of children.

Implications of population changes for early child educators

As can be observed from the demographic changes, minority populations have augmented by over 50% in the last decade. The increased birth and fertility rates among the Hispanic and Latino population indicate that populations of infants below three years will double in the next three years. In addition, the number of children accessing formal childcare arrangement is below 15% of the total average of children going through school (Beavers & Amico, 2005). The contrary is observed on the number of children attending informal childcare settings, which is approximated to be around 34.5%. However, the number of children accessing the early childhood education and care is high in relation to most countries. In terms of quality services, the Latinos receive poor childcare services in relation to the white counterparts. The expansion and spread of population among Latinos have significant effect on current and upcoming economic and social course of action with emphasis on early childhood education and care (Guzmán, 2001).

Following the demographic changes issues of early childhood education including needs and challenges as well as cultural issues in education are critical considerations. Early childhood education encompasses various stages in education system including head start, prekindergarten, kindergarten and childcare. To the early childhood educators, Latino populations are constantly underserved (Guzmán, 2001). Therefore, with the continuous increase in population, policy frameworks consisting of possible actions are needed to address and improve early childhood education and care services for the Latino populations.

The high growth in population of the minority groups are aggravated by the poor economic conditions worsening the situations of the early childhood education. According to the population census, minority populations have high rates of underemployment, unemployment and low-income in relation to other groups (Guzmán, 2001). The economic situation of minority groups increases the impossibilities of attaining the best services for early childcare and education. The census indicates that children under the age of five from the minority groups constitute about 30% of children living in poverty. Under such economic conditions, children are likely to get the best services particularly at the early stages of their education life (Guzmán, 2001).

In addition to the economic situations, the geographical dispersal of the minority groups also has implications to the policy makers and implementation process. The demographics indicate that some states have high populations of minority groups. The implication is that such states are likely to have increased number of young children (Guzmán, 2001). Therefore, State with high populations of minority groups need to increase funds as well as appropriate framework to address the challenges of early childhood education. In addition, almost all states have to include the provision of early childcare and education together with related services for the minority children that continuously increase in numbers (Guzmán, 2001).

Realities and issues for early educators

From the view of early childhood educators, increase in population will require solutions to immediate challenges facing the early childhood education sector. Policy issues such as cultural differences between childcare providers and parents, workforce status of families, convergence of immigrants and the economic hardship faced by immigrant families need more attention (Beavers & Amico, 2005). The confluence of immigrants will often affect Latinos in the whole of their lifespan while the cultural challenges will more often than not affect the English language learners. Most of the immigrant children have native languages other than the universally spoken American English. The Latino parents expect their children to learn English particularly as second language in early childcare schools. The care providers find it difficult communicating to children since being in school is their first time to learn English leading to the communication breakdown (Beavers & Amico, 2005). The diversity in terms of language and culture poses the greatest challenge to the care providers as well as children due to the communication breakdown.

The studies on early childhood education indicate that most parents struggle to find childcare units or institutions, which is ethnically and linguistically similar in temperament. As such, early childhood educators adopt diverse cultural systems in the provision of early education and care. In most cases, the dominant cultural groups other than the home cultures are espoused in the system (Beavers & Amico, 2005). Because of such cultural challenges, most parents opt for informal childcare arrangements instead of organized care systems defined in general education system and curriculum.

According to Census Bureau, the survey conducted on income and program participation included preschools, childcare centers, kindergartens and federal start programs as the formal organized care systems. The Census Bureau indicates that only about 15.5 % of the Latino children are in formal care units while around 34% are in informal care arrangements (Beavers & Amico, 2005). The situation is exacerbated by the rate of unemployment experienced by Latino families. The survey indicates that most families prefer informal arrangement due to their low-income status in addition to cultural affiliations (Guzmán, 2001).

Cultural and linguistic diversity

The statistics indicate that large numbers of young children under the age of three years joining preschool formal centers are from diverse cultural backgrounds. In addition, statistics indicate that about 52.3% of children joining childcare units do not speak English. In addition, majorities of young children are Hispanic and Latinos while whites and blacks combines comprises of about 34.8% (Guzmán, 2001). According to the Census Bureau, the number of early childhood teachers from the Hispanic and Latino backgrounds accounts for only 4.2% in relation to the number of children from similar background.

According to the census bureau, linguistic and cultural diversity accounts for greatest challenges teachers face in pedagogical practices. Cultural diversity accounts for over 43.2% while language accounts for 61.8%. Majority children joining childcare units speak their first language. Therefore, such children require teachers from similar background. Moreover, difficulties also exist in adopting diverse languages in the program. The problem is exacerbated by lack of educators who can teach in diverse cultural environment. About 2.8% of the early childhood teachers are equipped with necessary skills that enables them adapt to diverse environment (Guzmán, 2001).

The course requirements

Given the increasing number of children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, there is need to put in place programs that increase knowledge and skills on cultural and linguistic diversities particularly in the provision of early childhood care (Beavers & Amico, 2005). Early childhood education teachers should be equipped with in-depth knowledge and skills to support the children’s understanding based on theoretical and empirical framework concerning the language differences, culture, race special needs and social classes. In addition, teachers should increase children’s knowledge on language acquisition as well as learning appropriate actions related to the acquisition of language (Guzmán, 2001). With the increasing number of monolingual children among the immigrants populations, the programs that will enable children be bilingual and speak the English dialect is necessary.

Further, the programs need to be included in the courses that will enable teachers as well as implementers of the programs to adapt to real issues of diversity and racism. In other words, childcare providers particularly teachers should be in a position to criticize individual knowledge concerning the complex areas of child development and diversity. Moreover, close links with the parents as well as families should be developed in order provide more understanding particularly on cultural issues (Beavers & Amico, 2005). Besides, teachers should also be in a position to adapt to diverse settings in order to provide required knowledge and skills in diverse settings. In essence, teachers should be equipped with skills and knowledge that would enable them provide knowledge to children from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The course should support the program through the provision of reflective advising, further reading and research materials (Beavers & Amico, 2005).

As indicated in the 2000 US census, the populations of children continue to be varied. As such, early childhood educators need to be equipped with diverse skills to work effectively in diversified linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In addition, institutions providing the essential skills for educators to work in diverse cultural backgrounds are less in relation to the required number of teachers and increasing population of children. Therefore, a lot are needed in terms of strategies, institutions and policy framework in order to address the challenges. Moreover, there is need for increased specificity around issues concerned with linguistic and cultural diversity. The statistics indicate that few teachers are equipped with specific skills regarding cultural and linguistic diversities of young children and their families. Even though the survey indicated existence of few programs geared towards cultural and linguistic diversities in children, there are needs to increase such programs to equip teachers with the necessary skills that enable them provide required standards of education and childcare particularly to the minority groups.

Statistics should form the basis of policy framework for early childhood education and planning. As indicated, the statistics point gaps and areas that need improvement in order to provide childcare services to the minority groups. Generally, the authorities at all government levels should develop programs that support the primary goal of early childhood education.

References

Beavers, L., & Amico, J. D. (2005). Children in immigrant families: U.S. and state-level findings from the 2000 Census. Washington, DC: Population Reference Bureau.

Guzmán, B. (2001). The Hispanic population, Census 2000 brief. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau.

Introduction

The population of a nation is a critical aspect of development in an economy. Population composition and growth trends are just some of the critical issues which are not only important to the government but also the whole nation as well as the international community. According to Murdock (21)

Assessing the consequences of the population on the pace and process of economic growth is one of the oldest themes in the literature on economics. These assessments have varied enormously over time, spanning the highly pessimistic to the outright optimistic. A systematic review of the major studies in this literature represents a useful way to organize a survey of the consequences of demographic change

The foundation of the use of the demographic trend of a nation is as old as mankind (Weeks p.16). It is prudent to note that, almost all countries base their economic planning and projection on population. It is there fundamental to critically analyze population and demographic trends in Texas. This analysis is vital for both academic and government planning and distribution of resources to its citizens. Kasun, (23) illustrates that,

The concept of race as used by the Census Bureau reflects self-identification by people according to the race or races with which they most closely identify. These categories are socio-political constructs and should not be interpreted as being scientific or anthropological. Furthermore, the race categories include both racial and national-origin groups

Analysis

A close analysis of the population trend in Texas is of great importance to both Texas City and the American federal government. Population statistics reveal that population estimates in Texas in 2009 stood at 24, 782,302 while that of the whole of America was at 307,006,302. Population percentage change from 2000 to 2009 was 18.8% while that of the whole US was 9.1%. This analysis was done concerning the population base of 2000 which h was 20,851,818. Source Murdock, (45).

The comparison of historical statistics with contemporary findings based on demographic (race, age, income) changes in Texas.

American Indians constitute 0.8% of the total Texas population while Asians comprise 3.5%.In addition to that, White persons constitute 47.4%, persons reporting two or more races 1.3%, person Hispanic 36.5,

The general pattern population trend in Texas is that there is an increase in the population growth of the city. In this regard, the demographic trend that caught my attention is that of the population of white person which stood at 47.4. This is because given that Texas is the complete metropolitan city the white community still dominates a great percentage of the total population. The demographic change of the white registered in this case could be attributed to the fact that race is still a big problem in Texas. This is because it could have been that the persons with more than one race could have been more but this is not the case. This aspect of demographic trend can lead to great domination of white in the city of texas in 40 years. The government can address this change by educating and encouraging interracial marriage in society.

Conclusion

Population plays a vital role in the study of different cultures, planning as well as the distribution of resources in society.

Works Cited

Kasun, Jacqueline. Population: an introduction to concepts and issues. Ignatius Press, 1999.

Murdock,H.,Steve.The new Texas challenge: population change and the future of Texas. Texas: Texas A&M University Press, 2003.

Weeks, R.,John.Population: an introduction to concepts and issues. New York: Wadsworth Pub. Co., 1994.

Zip code is a vital characteristic when it comes to defining demographic specificities of people inhabiting different regions. It provides extensive quantitative information about all possible aspects of human life. Moreover, such indicators can be used while deciding to move to another town or city or comparing the benefits of living in a place. To prove the usefulness of the data provided through the consideration of people’s lives by their zip codes, I made a comparison of my place with another neighboring area.

The used website, ZipWho, is an easy instrument for the search of principal indicators characterizing the lives of inhabitants in a particular area. With its help, I managed to find a great deal of information on various aspects of human life. They primarily include financial indicators allowing to make conclusions on the social situation of local people (“60431: Joliet, IL,” n.d.). It also implies the ownership of specific material goods such as houses and cars. The financial information is complemented by the social structure of the area, including such characteristics as the nationality and age of inhabitants (“60431: Joliet, IL,” n.d.). It would allow making precise conclusions on the current situation in these places and, consequently, comparing them to reveal the one which is better for living.

The first and most crucial characteristic is the financial indicators of people living in areas with zip codes 60435 and 60431. As can be seen from the data published on the website, the median income in the area 60431 is much higher than the one in 60435 (“60431: Joliet, IL,” n.d.). However, it does not make any difference for a person as the cost of living in 60431 is higher (“60435: Joliet, IL,” n.d.). Nevertheless, the situation looks different once the median mortgage-to-income ratio in both areas is compared. This indicator is almost the same for both places, but with consideration of other financial indicators, the area 60431 seems to be better.

This conclusion allows one to see that the consideration of financial situations and correct outcomes are possible only in the case of comparison of several characteristics. It can be completed with the consideration of people’s dwellings as they are somehow connected to their financial status. Thus, the houses of inhabitants with the zip code 60435 are mostly rented, and they are generally smaller than the ones in 60431 (“60431: Joliet, IL,” n.d.). Hence, taking into account all of the considered indicators, living in the area 60431 is more economically beneficial.

The second component of the analysis is the social situation in both areas, and it includes multiple characteristics. It is also connected to the financial status of people and explains a higher number of married people in the area 60431, whereas the population is half the number of inhabitants in 60435 (“60431: Joliet, IL,” n.d.). Moreover, they have fewer divorces, and the people there are generally younger (“60431: Joliet, IL,” n.d.). The results of the analysis of the social situation prove the fact that the overall environment of the area 60431 is better than the one in 60435.

There are not many similarities between the two areas as they are different in all aspects. The conducted analysis makes me consider other neighboring regions to make a long-term home in the future. It suggests that life in the area 60431 is more beneficial in terms of financial and social situations, and it seems reliable to me. It is possible that everything can change in the future, but at the moment, there is not much to be changed as all the components of wellbeing are interconnected and, therefore, complicated. The health of populations seems to be better in area 60435 due to higher financial indicators and younger age.

References

60431: Joliet, IL. (n.d.). ZipWho. Web.

60435: Joliet, IL. (n.d.). ZipWho.

Introduction

The affiliation of Americans to religion is an anomaly, which social scientists have constantly tried to evaluate. Even though it is a secular country, religious participation and affiliation are above average in the US compared to other western industrialized nations (Hadaway, Marler and Chaves 741). Further, the rate of religious activity also shows a lot of stability. Overall, the population share of Protestant affiliates has been remaining stable since the 1940s; however, the Catholic affiliates have declined since the 1960s and 1970s. It was noted in a study by Hout and Greeley conducted in 1987 (cited in Hadaway, Marler and Chaves 741) who noted that from 1930 to 1940 there had been a steady decline in the Catholic self-reports. Approximately 40 percent of the US population visited the church on weekly basis. Gallup’s study conducted in 1991 showed that 42 percent of the adult Americans visited churches of whom 45 percent were Protestants and 51 percent were Catholics (Princeton Religion Research Center 4). Sociologists have often bolstered the argument for American secularism based on high participation rates. However, the trend is changing.

Diversity in the American population is said to be reshaping the demographic profile of the religious population of the country (Warner 20). Such has been observed by the Vatican, reported in New York Times, as there have been drastic demographic changes in the Catholic Christian world all over the developed countries, especially the United States (Bruni). Therefore, a shift in the demographic profile of the US population has been observed by many and is a case of serious discussion in Washington. This is important in view of the increasing trend of secularism in the country, which can be observed in the country due to a recent decline in the Church attendance and less affiliation with the Church. This report studies the demographic change in the US and how and in which direction it has moved. The paper also tries to ascertain why there has been a shift in the demographic character of the Catholics in the US.

Demographic Character of Catholics in US

Population

According to a study conducted by the Baylor Religion Survey (Baylor Religion Survey) in 2006 there was 21.2 percent of the population who were Catholics. Majority of the population was protestant, which comprised of 55.7 percent of the sample. A historical study of the Catholic population in the US shows that there has been a decline in the population ratio of Catholics in the US population. As figure 1 demonstrates, the percentage of Catholics in 1965 was 24 percent in the US, which declined in the 1970s to 23 percent. It remained stable in the decades of 1980s and 1990s and then again fell in 2000 to 22 percent. With a minor rise in the Catholic population in 2005 to 23 percent was temporary as it continued declining through 2009 until it settled at 22 percent. (CARA)

The data released by PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life in 2008, which was a result of their survey, “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey”, partially showed the declining population share of Catholics in the US. The PEW study was conducted among adult Catholics in the and US self-reported the findings. The study suggested:

“Catholicism has experienced the greatest net losses as a result of affiliation changes. While nearly one-in-three Americans (31%) were raised in the Catholic faith, today fewer than one in four (24%) describe themselves as Catholic. These losses would have been even more pronounced being it not for the offsetting impact of immigration … the Catholic share of the U.S. adult population has held fairly steady in recent decades, at around 25%. What this apparent stability obscures, however, is the large number of people who have left the Catholic Church. Approximately one-third of the survey respondents who say they were raised Catholic no longer describe themselves as Catholic.” (Cited in CARA, 1)

Therefore, Catholic affiliates had constantly declined in the total population. However, the study also suggests that it is the immigration population, which has helped to keep the ratio higher than it would be. The report suggested that a “disproportionately high number of Catholics among immigrants to the U.S.” (Cited in CARA, 1) Further, there is almost 10 percent of the Americans who report having been raised as Catholics but do not visit the church indicating a shift in their religious preference. The constant decline in the share of Catholics shows a declining trend in the population towards non-affiliation with Catholicism. This trend is not exclusive for Catholic Church as there has been a decline in the share of Protestants too in the US pupation (PEW Forum). Clearly, a greater influx of immigrant Catholics in the US has raised the ethnic diversity in the US Catholic population. This will be reviewed in the following sections.

Gender

The study also showed a gender-wise division of the Catholic population of America. The study showed that there was 23.8 percent were male and 18.9 percent were female (Baylor Religion Survey). The study shows that there were more self-reported male Catholics in the US than females. Further analyzing the data from the dataset from the religious landscape survey conducted by PEW in 2008, we see that there is a higher number of female respondents amounting to 56.1 percent of the respondents and 43.6 percent of the respondents were found to be Catholics of 8061 Catholics surveyed (PEW). The survey showed a marked increase in the number of adult Catholic adults in the US in 2008 than in 2006.

Gender is an important aspect to study as women are more likely to be affiliated to Church than men (D’antonio, Davidson and Hoge 129). Further women’s participation in Church life has increased considerably and even though traditionally they had been marginalized by Catholic tradition by prohibitions and ordinations. However, it is argued that Catholic men and women are similar in their Catholic identity (D’antonio, Davidson and Hoge). Nevertheless, the study by D’antonio, Davidson and Hoge asserts that among Catholics the commitment to the religion is higher among women (130).

Income

The income statistics shows that most of the Catholics in the US are in 2008 shows that there has been an income distribution among 20 percent of the Catholics has an income of less than $30,000. The incomes of Catholic Americans with income more than $30000 and less than $50000 were 14 percent. The majority of the adult Catholics in America have an income of $50000 to $80000, which forms 23 percent of the whole sample group. Catholics with more than $100000 income forms 16 percent of the total adult Catholic sample (PEW). The data does not suggest any relationship between inclination towards Catholicism and their income levels. However, generally, it can be deduced that people with a higher level of income have a higher affiliation towards Catholicism in the US.

Therefore, the study shows that more US Catholics form the cluster wherein the individual income is higher. The clusters wherein more US Catholics have a salary higher than $80000 show that there are more female members than males. This indicates that among Catholics, females have higher income compared to men. This shows that more females at the higher income level have a greater religious affiliation than women in the lower income levels. However, the trend for men is just converse as more men are seen to be affiliated to Catholicism at lower income levels.

Age

A segregation according to to age shows that more people 18 percent of the Catholics are found to be within the age group of 18-29. At the age group of 30 to 49 years, the largest chunks of US Catholics have been found by the study. The age group of 50 to 54 years have 24 percent of the respondents and 15 percent comprise of more than 65 percent of the respondents. Therefore, the data suggest that middle aged Americans i.e. 30 to 49 years of age are mostly affiliated to the religion. Therefore in the middle aged group of 30 years to less than 55 years there most of the Catholics can be identified which comprises of 65 percent of the total respondents.

Race/Ethnicity

Research conducted by PEW indicates that the ethnic background of US Catholics in 2008. The study shows that the Catholics self-reported that 83.7 percent of the Catholics were US-born. 14.9 percent were born in another country. In this people born in other countries, 0.8 percent was born in Puerto Rico, 0.1 percent in other US territories like Guam, Samoa, Virgin Islands, etc (PEW). The Baylor Religion Survey report suggested that in 2006 there were 22.8 percent white Catholics in the US and 5 percent were of African American descent (11). The PEW report of Catholics in 2008 suggests that the percentage of whites in Catholics was 65 percent, 2 percent were African Americans, 2 percent were Asians, and 2 percent were others. One of the second largest groups of Catholics in the US after the Whites was Hispanics who comprised 29 percent of the total Catholic population in the US (PEW Forum). The PEW study suggests that there has been an increasing affiliation of Hispanics towards Catholicism in the US. This may be owing to the large amount f Hispanic immigrants in the country. However, this related affiliation of Latinos was declining according to o PEW. They identified that the self-reported affiliation towards Catholicism among Hispanics was declining since 2008 when it was 58 percent, which was as high as 68 percent in 2006 (PEW Forum).

According to the 2006 U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), there were approximately 221.6 million self-identified Hispanics in the US (CARA). Therefore, we consider that the PEW estimates to be correct and assume that 10 percent of these Hispanics are adults then there were presumably 18.1 million adult Catholic Hispanics in the US. Therefore, the study indicates that Hispanics form the largest chunk of Catholic affiliates in the US, however; the affiliation among Hispanics has been declining.

Another trend that is observable in the study is the percentage of self affiliates adult Catholics who have suggested that their parents (father or mother or both) were born outside the US. This indicates that 69.3 percent of the respondents state that their parents were not born in the US. This indicates that they are the second generation of immigrants. Further detailed analysis shows that 48 percent of the Catholics stated that they were citizens of the United States, while 49.5 suggested that they were not. This indicates that a large number of Catholics in the US were actually non-US citizens. Historically it has been observed that since the 1970s the percentage of Catholics who were non-US citizens was higher than the population of Catholics who were the citizens of the US (CARA 10).

Education

According to the PEW study of 2008, we see that Catholics were mostly High School graduates comprising 36 percent of the total population. 21 percent of the population was seen to be college graduates who did not provide a 4-year graduate and 16 percent were college graduates with 4-year degrees. 10 percent of the population were postgraduates or were trained in professional schools. Therefore, the major mass of the Catholic population in the US had a high educational background. This indicated that the Catholic population who showed affiliation with the religion was mostly educated. The study indicates that Catholics have a high ratio of the population who has an inclination towards acquiring education. This would indicate that most Catholics in the US are educated.

Marital Status

The demographic distinction of Catholics in the US based on their marital status shows that 58 percent of the Catholics were married. Only 10 percent were divorced and 7 percent were in a live together relationship. 5 percent of the Catholics were widowed. 17 percent of the Catholics report that they have never been married. Therefore, the study indicates that mostly they are married.

Number of Children

The study indicates that 61 percent of the population who affiliated with Catholicism self-reported that they have no children. 13 percent report that they have one child, 15 percent have two children, 7 percent have three children, and 4 percent have four or more children. Thus in total 49 percent of the Catholic population has children.

Regional Distribution of Catholics

The study suggests that 29 percent of the population is from the Northeast of the country, 24 percent from the Midwest, 24 percent from the South and 23 percent from the West. Therefore, the US Catholic population is almost equally distributed with the largest section being in the Northeast.

Conclusion

The demographic analysis of the Catholics in the US demonstrates that there has been an increasing trend of the Catholic population in the US (D’antonio, Davidson and Hoge 3). There has been an increase in the Catholic population in the country from approximately 18 percent in the 1900-the 30s to 20 percent in the 1940-60s and approximately 23 percent in the 1970s to 2000 (3). Further, our study also shows that there has been a declining ratio of Catholics in the US population. However, our data is restricted from the 1960s to 2009. Another trend that the demographic study has observed is an increase in the diversified Catholic population in the US. This finding has been supported by D’antonio, Davidson and Hoge who have found that the Catholic population in the US has become increasingly diversified in the decades of 1970 to 2000. This study shows that after White Americans, the second-largest ethnic group who comprise the Catholic religious segment are the Hispanics. The demographics study also shows that there have been more female Catholic adults than males and the income of Catholic females is higher than that of the men population. Catholics are found to comprise middle to higher-income groups. Further, a large number of Catholics in the US has reported that they are non-US citizens who again are historically relevant as mostly the Catholic population in the US has been residents of US and not citizens of the country. Most of the Catholics are married and most of them have no children. The largest percent of the Catholic population can be found in the Northeastern part of the country. Catholics are mostly educated with the largest number of them having a High school degree or above. Further, the study confirms that US Catholics have been increasing among Hispanics as has been observed by other studies (PEW).

Works Cited

Baylor Religion Survey. American Piety in the 21st Century. Survey. Waco, Texas: Baylor Institue for Studies of Religion, 2006.

Bruni, Frank. “Reshaping a Church With Vitality and Ambition.”2005. New York Times. Web.

CARA. Catholic Church Statistics. 2009. Web.

—. “The Impact of Religious Switching and Secularization on the Estimated Size of the U.S. Adult Catholic Population.” 2008. Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. Web.

D’antonio, William, et al. American Catholics: Gender, Generation, and Commitment. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press, 2001.

Hadaway, C. Kirk, Penny Long Marler and Mark Chaves. “What the Polls Don’t Show: A Closer Look at the US Church Attendance.” American Sociological Review vol. 58 (1993): 741-752.

PEW Forum. Religious Demographic Profile. 2009. Web.

PEW. The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. 2008. Web.

Princeton Religion Research Center. “Church Attendance Constant.” Emerging Trends 14(3) (1992): 4.

Warner, R. Stephen. “Coming to America.” Christian Century 121(3)2004 : 20-23.

Demographic statistics shows that the United Kingdom will experience overall population growth and further increase in the number of aged people in the future. Demographics refer to numerical characteristics of people (Lutz, 2006). These statistical characteristics are widely used in marketing.

Generally, demographics entail examination of gender, race, age, mobility, employment status, and disabilities in a population. Therefore, demographic change means a shift in the statistical parameters of a population such as increase or decrease in employment status of the aged in a population (Cowell, 2004).

In the field of business, change in demography affects businesses positively or negatively. This occurs because change in population growth or increase of the population aged 55 years and above affect market trends causing opportunities or threats to businesses (Cowell, 2004). In the UK, demographic change represents more of an opportunity than a threat to UK businesses.

Demographic Change as an Opportunity to UK Businesses

Overall growth in the UK population may increase demand for goods and services. This implies that a larger population serves as an opportunity than a treat for a business to sell more and hence make more profits. Demographic change may make businesses to experience change in demand (Lutz, 2006).

For instance, an increase of the elderly population may change demand patterns for goods and services. This creates an opportunity for UK business to thrive if they address such demand changes promptly.

Changes in demand patterns create marketing opportunities for the UK businesses as demand for goods and services change. Therefore, businesses with good marketing strategies or the one to adapt quickly to demand changes may create more sales or more sales opportunities. Increase of the elderly population makes businesses to review their business plans to accommodate them (Lutz, 2006).

This may involve reviewing their workforce strategies that may improve business operations hence creating more opportunities. However, increase of the aged people may put pressure on businesses to alter their marketing operation or product promotion due to greater pension costs.

For example, the UK government may increase taxes to meet the aging population’s healthcare finances and pensions. This may pose a burden to businesses. However, businesses will use this as an opportunity to strategize how to expand their markets to create more sales (Cowell, 2004).

In any economy, population growth creates business opportunities, although this depends on other factors such as real income per person. According to demographic studies, UK experiences overall population growth hence more business opportunities.

Thus, businesses will have a wide market due to high demand for goods and services. On the other hand, high numbers of people who are 55 years and above may force businesses to alter their salary plans to correspond to the aged workforce. This may help businesses to create more opportunities for expansion through altered remuneration plans Lutz, 2006).

Increase in aging population may bring in place managerial knowledge and experience for UK businesses to utilize. The aged will bring into businesses better planning skills that will minimize damages and create opportunities. Demographic changes affect businesses differently.

For instance, care homes business and children toys business will thrive due to population growth and increase of older people. As new kids are born, demand for children toys will increase. In a similar manner, increase in older population will increase demand for care homes hence creating more business opportunities (Cowell, 2004).

The extent to which demographic change will be an opportunity depends on how the UK businesses prepare for it. Businesses that welcome older employees have a high chance of performing better due to vast managerial experience aged workforce will bring into the business.

Moreover, good business evaluations will tell the balance between business opportunities and threats (Lutz, 2006).

Increase in aging population affects health expenditure as well as employment status. This increases the number of older workforce which puts pension programs and labor supply in question. To meet the guaranteed pensions, employees have to pay more taxes, save more or work longer. These may alter business operations. As a result, demographic change may pose a threat to UK businesses (Cowell, 2004).

Conclusion

In conclusion, demographic change in the UK creates opportunities and treats to UK businesses. The extent to which the change is an opportunity or a treat to a business entirely depends on how the businesses are prepared for the change. Overall population growth and increasing numbers of older population are the major demographic changes that would occur in the UK in future (Commission Communication, 2006).

High numbers of aged people has negative impacts to pensions programs and workforce plans. However, they enhance demand for new products which creates opportunities for business growth.

References

Commission Communication. (2006). The Demographic Future of Europe – from Treat to Opportunity. Commission of the European Communities. Brussels.

Cowell, A. (2004). Demographic time Bomb Threatens Pensions in Europe. New York Times. Web.

Lutz, W. (2006). European Demographic Data Sheet 2006. Vienna and Washington, DC: Vienna Institute of Demography, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, and Population Reference Bureau.

That the UAE suffers from an acute demographic imbalance is a foregone conclusion given the self-evident statistics, which unanimously indicates that the locals are by far outnumbered by foreigners. It is estimated that foreigners make up over 90% of the population, a trend projected to keep going up with time. Consequently, this brings out a plethora of questions such as security, culture and identity globalization (Rapoport, 2011). The focus of this paper will be the security implications of having far too many foreigners and other issues that affect the nation.

It is widely acknowledged that the role of foreigners in developing the economy, providing workforce and expertise has been instrumental in facilitating the region’s phenomenal infrastructural growth. Nonetheless, an extreme dependency on foreign labor and migrant workers have resulted into a situation where the local minorities find themselves faced with criminal trends from a foreign lower class (Turnbull & Wass, 2007).

Many of the threats to the country’s security today were nearly non-existent before the UAE become the oil rich nation it is today (Al-Raisi & Al-Khouri, 2008). There are organized crime gangs that perpetuate murders and illegal white and blue-collar deals each year. In addition, the country is slowly becoming a hub for drug smugglers and all sorts of imported criminal activities that jeopardize the nation’s security (Al-Raisi & Al-Khouri, 2008).

In addition, the fact that there is such a big population of foreign workers means that they have considerable power in numbers, and this can easily develop into a security threat (Al-Raisi&Al-Khouri, 2008). For example, in 2006, foreign taxi drivers organized a strike, which turned violent because they did not wish to pay penalties for traffic offenses. Construction workers who are also predominantly foreign sometimes stage demonstrations that are occasionally violent.

Given that they have little loyalty to the host country, they are particularly dangerous. Such actions also have social and economic impactsbecome at occasionally the UAE is forced to conform to the laws and regulations of other countries. For example, some of the immigrant workers forced the UAE government to provide them with conditions like those that they had in their home countries even if the local laws do not recognize them.

Capitulating to the demands of foreign workers has often been the most workable solution for the government since it does not wish to lose its main source of labor (Turnbull & Wass, 2007). However, it has also tried other initiatives such as making laws that allow westerners to exercise their freedoms such as wearing bikinis on public beaches. Although this has been successful in attracting more visitors, it has tended to fuel tension between the locals and “favored” foreigners.

In addition, cultural integration has not come easy since many western and UAE customs do not rhyme. In fact, what is taken for granted in Europe may earn one a prison sentence in the UAE (Rapoport, 2011). For example, foreigners have been frequently arrested for driving while drunk, indecent exposure and public display of affection. The labor impositions above combined with the cultural contradiction potentially create a rivalry or even enmity between the locals and foreigners with the former feeling that their laws and culture are being disrespected (Rapoport, 2011).

In conclusion, there can be no doubt that as long as visitors outnumber the locals, they will feel insecure and threatened. Coupled with incidences of guest related crime, the UAE may slowly be turning into a hotbed of internal and perhaps later external conflict.

Two research questions and methodologies

• Question 1: What is the correlation of the influx of immigrants and social problems in the UAE?
• Research methodology: Quantitative approach would be used because it would allow statistical calculations that would be critical in making conclusions.
• Question 2: What are the main problems that are associated with an increase in foreign labor in the UAE?
• Research methodology: Quantitative strategy would be utilized because it would help to collect data and analyze them in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomena.

Analyze how domestic characteristics and dynamics of UAE influence the nature and impact of the issue

The small population size of UAE is one of the dominant domestic factor that has influenced the movement of foreign workers into the region. If there were enough laborers among the Emiratis, them the influx of immigrant workers would have been avoided forthwith. It is interesting to mention that most of the foreigners who visit the United Arab Emirates do so with the sole purpose of seeking employment. The latter brings up the issue of a stable economic growth.

It is vital to mention that UAE is rich in oil and other resources. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has also been substantially growing for a long time. As a result, investors find it as a viable investment region. This has necessitated the need to hire more workers in the investment firms (Lori, 2011). For example, construction workers who are both skilled and unskilled are required in large numbers in UAE in order to meet the high demand for labor in the construction industry.

In addition, the hospitality industry has been doing well in the wider United Arab Emirates and as such, the region demands a large pool of workers who can deliver their services (Rapoport, 2011). Moreover, the tourism sector also well developed in the United Arab Emirates. This has led to large influx of seasonal visitors from overseas, some of whom opt to stay even longer as residents. The region is highly dynamic in terms of both cultural and economic growth.

Third, the current challenges being experienced by UAE may have been generated by the low number of indigenous professionals who can take up jobs in the oil and gas sector, hospitality industry and even the construction subsector. Most Emiratis have apparently not been proactive in acquiring requisite knowledge and skills that can be tapped by the labor market. It was not until the turn of the new Millennium when the Emirati authorities began to enforce education laws in order to boost the standards. Since it takes some decades to nurture skills and knowledge with a population, the region still lacks an independent and vibrant workforce other than the foreigners. overdependence on expatriate labor might continue to bite the region for a long time.

Fourth, it is apparent that there is a low birth rate in UAE and that is why the population has remained rather low over the years. Relative to its geographic size, the current population in UAE is far below the expected number. These are some of the dynamics and domestic characteristics that have influenced the nature and impact of the issues at hand.

Identify and assess the resources that UAE has at present to manage the threat

From the outset, acute demographic imbalance is the main threat faced by the wider United Arab Emirates. However, the imbalance itself should not be perceived as the challenge facing the region. Rather, it is necessary to consider the impacts of this demographic balance before the right resources can be put in place.

As already discussed in the above section, security has turned out as the main challenge associated with demographic imbalance in UAE. Therefore, policy guidelines should be set up with a clear focus on matters related to security. Needless to say, authorities in UAE need to invest on security in order to minimize and eventually eliminate crimes brought about by foreigners.

To begin with, the UAE authorities should boost the capacity building and training of its intelligence and other security officers. The region may not continue to rely on the conventional tactics of managing its security apparatus. In any case, the ability of the local security officers may have been surpassed long time ago owing to the surging number of foreigners. Capacity building for security officers should go hand in hand with hiring of new staff in order to lower the police-civilian ratio. Hence, training is a key resource at this point in time (Lori, 2011).

Second, community policing is also a viable option and resourceful means of curbing the rising rate of insecurity in the United Arab Emirates. Emiratis are a major security resource since they can relay vital intelligence information to security men and women. Moreover, additional security monitoring centers should be set up in strategic locations for the sake of monitoring security matters.

Third, technology cannot be left behind or ignored by the UAE authorities if there is need to fight crime-related cases that are brought about by the influx of foreigners into the region. For example, border points should be keenly monitored to dispel any rogue elements from finding their way into UAE. The threats of modern terrorism indeed demand the authorities to embrace and adopt state-of-the-art technologies. Issues related to the inflow of hard drugs and weapons can be dealt with precisely at border points only if the right technological platforms are put in place (Lori, 2011).

Apart from security issues, erosion of indigenous culture is also a major concern. Since it may not be possible to restrict foreigners from practicing their cultures, it is upon the authorities of UAE to invest heavily in the cultural heritage of its people (Turnbull & Wass, 2007). In this case, cultural heritage centers can be set up to embrace local values. The latter may be made more relevant as tourist attraction centers.

Identify resources that UAE should develop in the next five years to improve the management of this threat and justify their importance

In the next five years, the threats posed by immigrant workers and other foreigners will have escalated by a big margin. The criminal investigation division should put in place specialized task forces. This will be able to handle the growing challenges posed by the large inflow of workers from other geographical regions. We expect a rapid growth in the construction sector in years to come. In addition, United Arab Emirates and specifically Dubai will continue to grow and expand as a major tourist destination across the globe. Hence, the current number of task forces that deal with security matters will be overstretched in terms of responsibilities (Rapoport, 2011).

Drug trafficking into the region is as a consequence of porous borders. This implies that additional personnel will have to be hired and trained to tackle border issues in regards to the proliferation of weapons and hard drugs (Rapoport, 2011). In fact, forensic laboratories will come in handy in the management of internal security matters (Turnbull &Wass, 2007).

Finally, family social security for the Emiratis will also be another vital area to be addressed within the next five years (Lori, 2011). Demographic imbalance has brought about gross erosion of cultural integrity of the Emirati people. The current spate of threat to UAE culture requires a w ell planned institutionalization of the indigenous family social security. Enactment of relevant pieces of legislations to protect the local citizenry culture will be a major resource to bear in mind.

References

Al-Raisi, A. N., & Al-Khouri, A. M. (2008). Iris recognition and the challenge of homeland and border control security in UAE. Telematics and Informatics, 25(2), 117-132.

Lori, N. (2011). National Security and the Management of Migrant Labor: A case study of the United Arab Emirates. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 20(3-4), 315- 337.

Rapoport, A. (2011). Nation-building, identity and citizenship education: cross cultural perspectives. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 31(2), 225-227.

Turnbull, P. J., &Wass, V. J. (2007). Defending dock Workers—Globalization and labor relations in the world’s ports. Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, 46(3), 582-612.

Abstract

Superstition continuous to be present in human consciousness amidst the modernization that has taken place, and continues to take place in the society. This study looked at whether demographic variables such as age, religion, race or color, and marital status have an effect on one’s superstitiousness¹. Findings of the study suggest that older age, being a church-goer, single, and Black makes a person more likely to be superstitious.

Introduction

Logic frowns upon superstition, but superstition has a stronghold in the society, as indicated by the pervasive presence of horoscopes in magazines and dailies (Torgler, 2007). Another indication of how pervasive superstition is, even in the modern society is the fact that hotels and other high-rise buildings do not have a thirteenth floor (Scalon et al., 1993). The number 13 is often skipped, such that the actual thirteenth floor is often labeled as the fourteenth. There is also a big market for good luck charms and accessories and talismans.

According to Ankerberg and Weldon (1999), belief in superstition has significantly increased during the past decades. Several surveys not only support this, but also report that the degree of belief, interest and involvement in superstition is high (Gallup and Newport, 1991; Ross and Joshi, 1992 cited in Torgler, 2007).

Literature

Superstition plays a role in the lives of people. In fact, according to the National Science Foundation (2002) and Rice (2003) a big percentage of Americans — more than 40% — believe in such things as devils, ghosts, and spiritual healing (National Science Foundation, 2002; Rice, 2003).

However, there is a dearth of empirical researches about superstition (Torgler, 2007). This may be partly because researchers consider superstition and magical thinking as “an extremely discouraging research topic” (Scheibe & Sarbin, 1965).

Previous studies on superstition have found that religion is an important factor in understanding paranormal beliefs and experiences (MacDonald, 1995; Orenstein, 2002; McKinnon, 2003; Rice, 2003).

Orenstein (2002, p. 303) however, criticizes these studies for being small in terms of sample size and for using student samples. He adds: “on student samples, religious variables have usually been examined without controlling for background characteristics that might show the results too spurious” (Orenstein, 2002, 303 as cited in Torgler, 2002).

A study by Torgler (2007) checked whether a correlation exists between superstition and religious variables. He concluded that there seems to be a “certain concurrence between churches and superstitious beliefs, the correlation between superstition and attendance of church and other religious activities being mostly negative” (Torgler, 2007). The study concludes that the more religious a person, the likelier it is for him to be superstitious.

One of the interesting factors about superstition whether there is a link between variables such as age, color or race, religion and marital status and superstitiousness (degree of belief or adherence to superstition).

To get an insight into this question, this present study compares the following: older respondents versus younger respondents; Black respondent versus White respondents; religious versus non-religious; and in a relationship versus single.

The study will give a glimpse in understanding some of the factors that may be related with belief to or non-belief of superstition.

Method

For this research, 10 people were polled. The respondents were asked to fill up a survey form where they were to indicate their age, their religion (if applicable) their color or race, and whether or not they are in a relationship. In the form, they were to rate their degree of belief to the superstitions listed using the numbers 1 to 5, 1 being the least belief, and 5 the highest degree of belief.

The responses of each person were then tallied, such that their average score of being superstitious was determined.

The mean scores were then tallied according to age, religion, marital status, and color. The mean scores of the whites were compared with that of the black; that of the single against that of those in relationship; that of the Catholics against the non-Catholics, and finally, that of the younger respondents (age 25 and younger) to that of the older respondents (age 26 and older).

Results

The variables considered in the study are age, race or color, marital status, and religious affiliation. The results are as follows.

Age variable

When the respondents were compared according to age, the survey showed that the older ones were more superstitious than the younger ones. The mean score of the older respondents’ degree of superstiousness was 4.36 whereas the younger respondents got a mean score of 2.6.

Table 1. Mean Score of Respondents’ Supertitiousness According to Age

Color or race variable

When the respondents were compared according to color, the survey showed that the Blacks were more superstitious than the Whites. The mean score of the Black respondents’ degree of superstiousness was 4.5 whereas the White respondents got a mean score of 3.06.

Table 2. Mean Score of Respondents’ Supertitiousness According to Color or Race

Marital status variable

When the respondents were compared according to color, the survey showed that the respondents who are single are more superstitious than the respondents who are in a relationship. The mean score of the respondents who are single was 3.76, whereas the respondents who are single got a mean score of 2.8.

In this study, divorced and respondents who were not married and not in a relationship were considered as single.

Table 3. Mean Score of Respondents’ Supertitiousness According to Marital Status

Religiosity variable

When the respondents were compared according to whether they are members of a religious group or not, the survey showed that the church goers were more superstitious than the non-church goers. The mean score of the church goers’ degree of superstiousness was 4.36 whereas the non-church goers got a mean score of 2.15.

Table 4. Mean Score of Respondents’ Supertitiousness According to Religiosity

Discussion

Based from the foregoing results, it appears from the onset people who are Black, single, older, and religious are more superstitious than those who are White, married, younger and non-religious.

The above statement, however, may need to be looked at using a more complex matrix. For this study, suffice it to say that Blacks are more superstitious that Whites, single people are more superstitious that those who are in a relationship; older people are more superstitious that the younger ones, and that the religious ones are more superstitious than those who are not church-goers.

The fourth concluding statement — that religious people are more superstitious than their nonreligious counterparts — supports the findings of Torgler as mentioned in the literature section of the paper. There are some elements in religion that make people more open to the supernatural (faith being based on belief a Supreme Being who himself represents the supernatural) which influences the religious folks to believe in superstition.

Another concluding statement in this study which may be explained is the finding that older people tend to be more religious than the younger ones. It is tempting to explain that this may be because the older the person gets, the more permeable he is to other thoughts and beliefs.

However, the ages of the respondents in the study were too close, the youngest being 20 and the oldest, only 33. For this conclusion to be more valid, the age gap between the two groups should have been wider: at least 20 years. Ideally, the two groups compared should have been teenagers to early twenties for Group A, and 40 years and older for Group B. The age of the respondents then should be noted as one of the limitations of the study.

Moreover, it should also be noted that the present study did not look into whether the association between the variables with superstition is statistically significant. The figures processed were only the mean scores of the respondents.

The study likewise did not look into other variables that may have an affect on one supertitiousness. Variables such as educational level, economic status, gender, and so on which may greatly influence one’s stand on superstition were not looked into. Future studies should also take into consideration these factors.

Also on the issue of variables, it is worth mentioning that while race or color was included in the study, there were only two races involved: Black and White. For the study to be more valid, other races should have been considered, like the Hispanics and the Asians and all the races that used to practice rituals (and may still be practicing now).

Finally, it should also be noted that the research study used very limited sample: only twenty respondents. This very limited number of respondents renders the study insufficient to draw definitive conclusions. As such, it is recommended that larger studies in terms of number of sample or respondents as well as in terms of the number of variables and the sophistication by which the data will be analyzed should be taken to gain a deeper insight into the association between demographics and superstitiousness.

Despite these limitations, however, the study author believes that this study gives us some glimpse on the variables considered in the study, albeit in a limited way.

Note

¹Superstitiousness is the level or degree of superstition.

Bibliography

1. Campbell, C. (1996). Half-belief and the paradox of ritual instrumental activism: a theory of modern superstition. British Journal of Sociology, 47, 151–166.
2. Lindemann, M. and Aarnio, K. (2007). Superstitious, Magical, and Paranormal Beliefs: An Integral Model.
3. Torgler, Benno. 2007. Determinants of Superstition. The Journal of Socio-Economics. 713-733.
4. National Science Foundation (2002). Science and engineering: Indicators 2002. Science and technology: public attitudes and public understanding. Science Wction and pseudoscience.
5. Orenstein, A., 2002. Religion and paranormal belief. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 41, 301–311.
6. Rice, T. (2003). Believe it or not: religious and other paranormal beliefs in the United States. Journal for the ScientiWc Study of Religion, 42, 95–106.
7. Scalon, T.J., Luben, R.N., Scanlon, F.L., Singleton, N., 1993. Is Friday the 13th Bad for your Health? British Medical Journal 307, 1584–1586.
8. Scheibe, K. E., & Sarbin, T. R. (1965). Towards a theoretical conceptualisation of superstition. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 16, 143–158.