5.1 Australia’s population
Population size and composition:
- 20 million ppl by Dec 2003
- natural increase = birth rate – death rate
- net migration = permanent arrivals – permanent departures
Population distribution and density:
- uneven distribution: 80% live on eastern coast
- coastal strip contains urban centres and large-scale industry + businesses
- moderately settled zones are dominated by agriculture + small-scale industries
- sparsely settled zone is dominated by grazing + scattered mining activities
- population density = 2 ppl per square kilometre
- 86% of ppl live in urban centres; thus Australia is an urbanised society
- proportion of ppl living in rural areas are declining
Population structure:
- aging population: narrow base, expansion at top
- increasing life expectancy
- declining birth rates
- decrease in immigration
5.4 Australia’s major cities and towns
The growth of the state capitals:
- 65% of ppl live in six state capitals
- urban sprawl
- growth threatens purity of water + quality of air + cleanliness of ocean
Non-capital cities:
- industrial cities: Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong
- tourist centres: Gold Coast
- regional centres (larger cities and towns): Tamworth, Dubbo, Ballarat, Townsville, Alice Springs
- declining population and rising levels of unemployment and welfare dependency
6.1 Types of Australian communities
Community: ppl who have something in common
Sense of community: when ppl share the same space or have similar beliefs and interest
Community based on shared space: urban community, neighbourhood, rural town, farming district or mining centre
Community based on shared social organisation or interest: ppl who belong to same sporting club, profession or political party; ppl who speak same language or same religion; ppl who have common heritage or social background
Factors contributing to development of sense of community:
- ethnic background
- gender and sexuality
- heritage
- pop culture
- neighbourhood
- religion and spiritual beliefs
- socioeconomic status
- demographic characteristics i.e. age
- cultural background
- interest groups
6.2 Processes causing change in Australian communities
- Many interactions b/w Australian communities are becoming faster, more complex, more flexible and less secure.
New technologies:
- technological advances have transformed ways communities interact
- barriers (distance and cost) are being broken down
- people and info are more mobile
- telephones, fax machines and internet – access and distribution of info
- advanced satellite and television technologies – participation in global events
- advances in shipping and cargo-handling technologies – enabled increase in volume of world trade
- development in aviation have reduced cost and time for travel – growth in international tourism and movement of people
Globalisation of economic activity:
- barriers such as distance, transport and communication costs are being broken down
- reduced cost of producing goods and services
- national economies are merging into a single global economies
- individual national markets are being replaced by worldwide market
- transnational corporations
- country’s autonomy and sovereignty is restrained by mobility of capital and power of international financial institutions
Global media networks:
- central influence on shaping individual, community and national identities
- Time Warner, News Corporation, Bertelsmann, Viacom and Walt Disney Company
- ppl who control these organisations have power to determine what info is available to public and thereby influence public opinion on many impt contemporary issues
- “globalisation of culture”: where cultures become more interrelated and interdependent
- fear that globalisation will result in loss of cultural diversity (domination of American pop culture)
Changing nature and patterns of work:
- technological changes have transformed workplace
- computers changed way info is stored, processed and transferred
- banking and finance sectors + administration sectors
- robotics take place of factory workers
- while displacing workers, also makes work more productive and creates new types of employment
o design, build, operate and service new technology
o stimulus to further innovation
- ppl displaced find it harder to acquire new skills and shift to areas of employment growth
- polarisation b/w privileged minority w/ access to well-paid jobs to a growing majority who are pushed to economic + social margins
Lifestyle expectations:
- in 1960s & 1970s there was expansion of manufacturing; leads to rising wages, strengthening of trade unions, expansion of gov services and grown of suburban living
- time of rising lifestyle expectations
- shift away from consumer goods to specialised services
- growth of service sector has created thousands of new jobs
- homes have become larger and houses have a lot of electrical appliances
- most families have a car and ppl eat out more often and engage in a wide range of recreational activities
Demographic changes:
- retirees often form communities based on shared social organisation i.e. leisure-related clubs
- some retires form communities based on shared space i.e. retiree villages and resort settlements e.g. Port Macquarie
Impact of natural disasters:
- Cyclone Tracy devastated community life in Darwin – thousands were evacuated, many never returned
- however, some can bring communities closer together – ppl work together to fight bushfires, rebuild communities and stuff
Intercultural exchanges:
- immigration and tourism
- cultures have enriched Australian communities
Recognition of Native title:
- enhance spiritual and material well-being of Indigenous ppl
- enable them to exercise indigenous rights, strengthen spiritual attachment to land
- provide source of economic security and advance reconciliation
Resource depletion:
- communities who rely on extraction of mineral or timber are adversely affected by depletion of resources
- some are abandoned while others develop other functions like tourism
6.3 Interest groups: decision-making in Australian communities
- in theory, each individual in Australia has opportunity to present demands to the gov
- interest groups: orgs that seek to influence decision-making processes of gov and large corps
o exercise direct influence over decision-making processes
o shape demands that public make
o play impt role in democratic society
o can be concerned with a single issue or focus on long-term objectives
Types of interest groups:
- sectional groups: look after interests of a particular section of society
- promotional groups: promote a particular cause i.e. environmental issues and moral issues
Conflict resolution:
- political interventions (by gov)
- judicial interventions (in court)
- community consensus (compromise within community)
yay! hopefully chapter 7 (focus area 3) will be up by the end of this weekend latest =]
i left out kakadu and pyrmont-ultimo case studies.. do you guys want it? if you do i'll summarise it after i'm done with chapter 7, cause chap 7 is more impt xD
hmm, and well, it IS australia geo after all. plus australian geo is interesting =]
hahaha
Population size and composition:
- 20 million ppl by Dec 2003
- natural increase = birth rate – death rate
- net migration = permanent arrivals – permanent departures
Population distribution and density:
- uneven distribution: 80% live on eastern coast
- coastal strip contains urban centres and large-scale industry + businesses
- moderately settled zones are dominated by agriculture + small-scale industries
- sparsely settled zone is dominated by grazing + scattered mining activities
- population density = 2 ppl per square kilometre
- 86% of ppl live in urban centres; thus Australia is an urbanised society
- proportion of ppl living in rural areas are declining
Population structure:
- aging population: narrow base, expansion at top
- increasing life expectancy
- declining birth rates
- decrease in immigration
5.4 Australia’s major cities and towns
The growth of the state capitals:
- 65% of ppl live in six state capitals
- urban sprawl
- growth threatens purity of water + quality of air + cleanliness of ocean
Non-capital cities:
- industrial cities: Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong
- tourist centres: Gold Coast
- regional centres (larger cities and towns): Tamworth, Dubbo, Ballarat, Townsville, Alice Springs
- declining population and rising levels of unemployment and welfare dependency
6.1 Types of Australian communities
Community: ppl who have something in common
Sense of community: when ppl share the same space or have similar beliefs and interest
Community based on shared space: urban community, neighbourhood, rural town, farming district or mining centre
Community based on shared social organisation or interest: ppl who belong to same sporting club, profession or political party; ppl who speak same language or same religion; ppl who have common heritage or social background
Factors contributing to development of sense of community:
- ethnic background
- gender and sexuality
- heritage
- pop culture
- neighbourhood
- religion and spiritual beliefs
- socioeconomic status
- demographic characteristics i.e. age
- cultural background
- interest groups
6.2 Processes causing change in Australian communities
- Many interactions b/w Australian communities are becoming faster, more complex, more flexible and less secure.
New technologies:
- technological advances have transformed ways communities interact
- barriers (distance and cost) are being broken down
- people and info are more mobile
- telephones, fax machines and internet – access and distribution of info
- advanced satellite and television technologies – participation in global events
- advances in shipping and cargo-handling technologies – enabled increase in volume of world trade
- development in aviation have reduced cost and time for travel – growth in international tourism and movement of people
Globalisation of economic activity:
- barriers such as distance, transport and communication costs are being broken down
- reduced cost of producing goods and services
- national economies are merging into a single global economies
- individual national markets are being replaced by worldwide market
- transnational corporations
- country’s autonomy and sovereignty is restrained by mobility of capital and power of international financial institutions
Global media networks:
- central influence on shaping individual, community and national identities
- Time Warner, News Corporation, Bertelsmann, Viacom and Walt Disney Company
- ppl who control these organisations have power to determine what info is available to public and thereby influence public opinion on many impt contemporary issues
- “globalisation of culture”: where cultures become more interrelated and interdependent
- fear that globalisation will result in loss of cultural diversity (domination of American pop culture)
Changing nature and patterns of work:
- technological changes have transformed workplace
- computers changed way info is stored, processed and transferred
- banking and finance sectors + administration sectors
- robotics take place of factory workers
- while displacing workers, also makes work more productive and creates new types of employment
o design, build, operate and service new technology
o stimulus to further innovation
- ppl displaced find it harder to acquire new skills and shift to areas of employment growth
- polarisation b/w privileged minority w/ access to well-paid jobs to a growing majority who are pushed to economic + social margins
Lifestyle expectations:
- in 1960s & 1970s there was expansion of manufacturing; leads to rising wages, strengthening of trade unions, expansion of gov services and grown of suburban living
- time of rising lifestyle expectations
- shift away from consumer goods to specialised services
- growth of service sector has created thousands of new jobs
- homes have become larger and houses have a lot of electrical appliances
- most families have a car and ppl eat out more often and engage in a wide range of recreational activities
Demographic changes:
- retirees often form communities based on shared social organisation i.e. leisure-related clubs
- some retires form communities based on shared space i.e. retiree villages and resort settlements e.g. Port Macquarie
Impact of natural disasters:
- Cyclone Tracy devastated community life in Darwin – thousands were evacuated, many never returned
- however, some can bring communities closer together – ppl work together to fight bushfires, rebuild communities and stuff
Intercultural exchanges:
- immigration and tourism
- cultures have enriched Australian communities
Recognition of Native title:
- enhance spiritual and material well-being of Indigenous ppl
- enable them to exercise indigenous rights, strengthen spiritual attachment to land
- provide source of economic security and advance reconciliation
Resource depletion:
- communities who rely on extraction of mineral or timber are adversely affected by depletion of resources
- some are abandoned while others develop other functions like tourism
6.3 Interest groups: decision-making in Australian communities
- in theory, each individual in Australia has opportunity to present demands to the gov
- interest groups: orgs that seek to influence decision-making processes of gov and large corps
o exercise direct influence over decision-making processes
o shape demands that public make
o play impt role in democratic society
o can be concerned with a single issue or focus on long-term objectives
Types of interest groups:
- sectional groups: look after interests of a particular section of society
- promotional groups: promote a particular cause i.e. environmental issues and moral issues
Conflict resolution:
- political interventions (by gov)
- judicial interventions (in court)
- community consensus (compromise within community)
yay! hopefully chapter 7 (focus area 3) will be up by the end of this weekend latest =]
i left out kakadu and pyrmont-ultimo case studies.. do you guys want it? if you do i'll summarise it after i'm done with chapter 7, cause chap 7 is more impt xD
hmm, and well, it IS australia geo after all. plus australian geo is interesting =]
hahaha