1. Assess the extent to which population control policies are essential to a society's national development
plan. Support your response by referring to any two population control policies and two related national
development strategies in a named Caribbean society. Appropriate sociological approaches must be
used.
Answer Plan
(i) Define Population Control.
(ii) Why is Population control important for National development?
(iii) Is there evidence of population control in the Caribbean? If so, illustrate?
(iv) What policies have been implemented in the Caribbean that targets population control?
(v) Is population control the only means of ensuring development? Explain.
What is Population control?
Population control is the means by which human beings take active steps, normally in relations to social
policies and morals, to limit the number of children they have. There are numerous means of population
control including delayed marriages, contraception, abortions, sterilization and abstinence. Of
importance is that population control policies tend to be relative. By this, while some may be acceptable
in some societies, some are not in other societies. In the Caribbean, for example, abortion is not
relatively appreciated and is often frowned upon.
The Importance of Population Control
Population Control can assist in National development in the following ways:
(i) It ensures that women are able to control their reproductive right. Population control thus goes hand
in hand with the development of women.
(ii) The less people in society means that the less resources are being used by that society. Population
control therefore ensures that limited resources such as food, housing and health care are not being
strained (Anderson and Taylor, 2003).
(iii) Population control ensures that less people are dependent on the government (ECLAC, 2002)
(iv) The HDR 2011 argue that such Caribbean countries as St. Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica can
only reduce poverty by controlling and limiting their population. Consider the Neo-Malthusian and
Malthusian theory that argue that overpopulation would lead to the out-stripping of resources.
Evidence of Population Control in the Region
- Population control is relatively accepted in the Caribbean. Studies by Harewood (1975), Abdullah
(1971) and Yeboah (2000) have showed that Caribbean women are appreciative of contraception and
are more willing to pursue educational opportunities than to have children at an early age. Abdullah
noted that almost 90% of women in T&T were aware of contraception through government policies.
- Yeboah (2000) noted that Caribbean governments have appealed to international organizations such
as the International Planned Parenthood Federation for loans to implement family planning policies.

2. - Harewood noted, however, that some women in the Caribbean rather large families because of
religious reasons and poverty.
What policies have been implemented in the Caribbean that targets population control?
- Numerous policies have been implemented in the Caribbean most of them revolving around family
planning and education.
- There is evidence that Caribbean government have ensured greater equity in schools so that women
can get a better education. Reddock (1998), Harewood (1975) and Barriteau (1998) have all argued that
population control and women’s education goes hand in hand.
- Numerous campaigns have been televised about parenting – In Jamaica for example, the slogan “plan
for two, it’s the smart thing to do” appeal to middle class people and encouraged them to have only two
children or limit the number of children they have.
Other means of development:
- Industrialization – Consider Arthur Lewis’s “Industrialization by Invitation” Proposal
- Improving education
Numerous Caribbean sociologists have argued that true development of the Caribbean region can only
be achieved by the development of the human resources. The human resources are infact the main
resources of the region, hence, developing this important commodity means an overall development of
other aspects of Caribbean society. Hence, provisions must be made to improve health organizations,
educational institutions, religious branches and recreational institutions. Susan George, a major critic of
fertility control, agreed with this notion, and contended that population will decline automatically as
people become better educated, health care improves and poverty is attacked. Though not in his line of
arguments, Warren S. Thompson agree that this may be a possibility; people would soon or later see
children as burden. He believes that people generally tend to have as many children has they can
support or “afford”.
Furthermore, it does help should the government start to make good technological advances within the
country. Arthur Lewis, a Caribbean economist and sociologists, in his theory of Industrialization by
Invitation, asserts that the Caribbean region needs to accept aid from developed countries in order for
them to become industrialized. He argues that with industrialization and therefore technological
improvements comes development in the Caribbean region.
There is little need to remind Caribbean sociologists that reducing the population of a country is
important as it helps to stabilize the country’s economy and in doing so reduce the dependency ratio of
the people on the limited resources of the region. However, most Caribbean sociologists have accepted
the notion that “fertility control” is not the key ingredient for development. Even if it should be that
fertility control is necessary for development, it cannot exist solely without improving the human
resources, distributing resources properly and gaining technological assistance in an effort to be
industrialized. These are true keys in become “developed”.