I think this article is very interesting because it is showing that Africa is trying to become a more modern country like the rest of the world, even though they are 20 years behind Asia. One of the important factors that will help with the poverty is the declining fertility rates. Instead of having more and more mouths to feed in an already impoverished nation, the declining birth rate will help to give more back to those Africans.
In our homework this week, we plotted trends alongside GDP to understand the correlation between them. Having chosen birth rate as one of mine, I know thatas GDP increases, birthrate generally decreases. Hopefully with urbanization and fewer people to spread scarce resources to, we will see Africa begin to prosper. However, I did think it was interesting how the author seems to suggest that this trend will come on incredibly quickly, especially as the current working cohorts die. I have a hard time believing such big changes can happen this quickly.
It seems that Africa is at a crossroads right now. As the article describes, there is a great deal of potential in the economies of Africa at the movement, but it can disappear very quickly. The huge workforce they currently have could propel the most impoverished areas into the formal economy and spur industrialization. I am fascinated by how much demographics can change an economy. I am also surprised, like Karen, at how fast these transformations can take place. It seems that in only a few generations an economy can be lifted up or slammed down by changes in the population. Growing up in a stable economy and community, it is hard for me to imagine entire cities being created in months. The scale of change described in the article is amazing. I just hope that African governments can take full advantage of the situation and establish an economy that will benefit many generations to come.
3 comments:
I think this article is very interesting because it is showing that Africa is trying to become a more modern country like the rest of the world, even though they are 20 years behind Asia.
One of the important factors that will help with the poverty is the declining fertility rates. Instead of having more and more mouths to feed in an already impoverished nation, the declining birth rate will help to give more back to those Africans.
In our homework this week, we plotted trends alongside GDP to understand the correlation between them. Having chosen birth rate as one of mine, I know thatas GDP increases, birthrate generally decreases. Hopefully with urbanization and fewer people to spread scarce resources to, we will see Africa begin to prosper. However, I did think it was interesting how the author seems to suggest that this trend will come on incredibly quickly, especially as the current working cohorts die. I have a hard time believing such big changes can happen this quickly.
It seems that Africa is at a crossroads right now. As the article describes, there is a great deal of potential in the economies of Africa at the movement, but it can disappear very quickly. The huge workforce they currently have could propel the most impoverished areas into the formal economy and spur industrialization. I am fascinated by how much demographics can change an economy. I am also surprised, like Karen, at how fast these transformations can take place. It seems that in only a few generations an economy can be lifted up or slammed down by changes in the population. Growing up in a stable economy and community, it is hard for me to imagine entire cities being created in months. The scale of change described in the article is amazing. I just hope that African governments can take full advantage of the situation and establish an economy that will benefit many generations to come.
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