Summary of World in a Balance

Summary of World in a Balance

          The people paradox is a 56 minutes sized film that was narrated by Oliver Platt. The writer of the film was Sarah Holt, who also directed and produced the film. World in Balance revolves around three countries in the world that is Kenya, Japan and India. The video analyses how different social and economic activities have contributed to the creation of population profiles that are different.

According to the film, India is faced with different challenges. The video shows that overpopulation is one of the problems facing India, and it is caused by the high birth rate in the country. Women in India have no rights to making productive choices since men make all decisions, and this also contributes to overpopulation. The film shows that India is faced by other problems such as infant death. Illiteracy in women is also another problem facing India. Women in India have low standards in society since society is male-dominated. According to the film, gender discrimination is widely spread in India not only among the poor but also to the rich.

Poverty is also another problem facing India. The film shows children in rural areas walking without shoes to school. According to the film, Unemployment is another factor facing India since it is widely spread in the region. Due to India’s low rate of economic growth, the country is not able to create more job opportunities for its population. There is also water shortage among many states in India such as Punjab which is the capital city. The problem of water shortage hinders India from increasing its food production.

Japan experiences low population due to delayed marriages as most women do not engage in marriages on their early ages. Japan is also affected by gender discrimination since women having children are viewed as a burden in their respective companies, and this makes women to first work on their carriers before considering siring children. Citizens in Japan have low-income levels, and this makes it difficult for parents to take care of their children. Taking good care of the aged in Japan is also a problem since both men and women are usually busy working; hence, no one is left at home. The ageing group form the most significant percentage of Japan population, and this is a disadvantage since japan will be forced to import the workforce.

Kenya is faced with the problem of high population, and this led to the introduction of family planning methods. Kenya is experiencing high death rates caused by the outbreak of diseases. According to the film, six out of nine people in Kenya are affected by HIV/AIDS, and this reduces life expectancy. Kenya is also faced by poor housing since the majority of its population in towns, primarily Nairobi reside in small single rooms. Poverty in Kenya is also a challenge that results in a higher number of school dropouts. Poverty in Kenya has also promoted immorality majorly prostitution.

There are high levels of unwanted pregnancies in Kenya since many young girls are forced by harsh life circumstances to engage in sexual activities below the age of nineteen. Due to lack of means of raising children, many girls in Kenya attempt to abort illegally. According to the film, methods used by young girls in Kenya to perform abortions are soap detergents, taking of anti-malarial drugs in overdose, using coat hangers and finally needles.

Population Pyramids of Kenya, Japan and India

India

According to the film, India population will surpass china which is the country with the leading population rate. Uttar Pradesh is the fastest-growing state in terms of the population since it experiences a population increase of 10 million people in a duration of every three years. According to the film, the birth rate of India has reduced since every woman currently gives birth to three children as compared to six children in the previous years. South of India experience low population growth similar to European countries. The main reasons that contribute to the high population in India are the preference for siring male children, and society is patriarchal.

Japan

Japan’s population pyramid is compared to an inverted India’s pyramid. Japan is experiencing lower rates of reproduction among women, and it is approximated to 1.3 children in every family. Increase in the roles played by women in society dramatically contributes to less population in the country since women do not have time to give birth to children and bring them up.

Kenya

According to the film, Kenya has the Knob style pyramid which has been brought about by HIV/AIDS. According to the film, HIV/AIDS has profoundly affected adults between the age of twenty and sixty. The film shows that in Kenya every woman gives birth to a maximum of four children. The high population in Kenya is contributed majorly by high poverty levels.

There is a need to solve the population imbalance in Kenya, India and Japan. According to the film, in most developing countries, the majority of the population maintain their family numbers according to the cultural requirement as compared to rich countries, an individual determines the size of a family. In Kenya and India, there should be implementations of policies that tend to lower the population size for efficient utilization of resources. Population in Japan is at a high threat since the levels of birthrates is less than death and ageing rates. There should be policies formed by the government that tend to increase birth rates.