CZYNNIK EKONOMICZNY WE WSPÓŁCZESNYCH KONCEPCJACH LUDNOŚCIOWYCH

Abstract

The article gives a review of conceptions related to the importance of economic factor as a stimulator for population growth - on two planes: macro- and micro-social. In case of social macro-structures the economic factor is considered within the framework of the so-called welfare theory. Theoricians of welfare adopted different standpoints towards demographic factor. Starting from classics of political economy up to neo-classics, e.i. from A. Smith to A. Marshall - the populations theory was thoroughly submitted to the economy. The article has presented synthetic conceptions of populations in context of economic factor the authors of which were T. R. Malthus, J. S. Mill, A. C. Pigou, A. Marshall, J. M Keynes’ K. Marx. The attention was also drawn to representatives of the so-called new economy of welfare: N. Kaldor, M. W. Rader, J. R. Hicks, T. Scitovsky, J. Little, A. Bergson, A. Lemer. It comes out of the research that further development of economy went towards development of the theories of growth. Demographic factor in most growth models is approached exogenically (e.g. models by E. D. Domar, R. F. Harrod, J. Von Neumann, M. Kalecki, J. M. Keynes, W. W. Leontiew). In forming conceptions on micro-social plane two scientific disciplines - sociology and economy - have marked their importance. First trend was built on a ground of the theory of economy and especially - of the theory of a consumer’s behaviour. Foundations of demographic ecnonomic conceptions were presented and their main representatives were: H. Leibenstein, G. S. Becker and R. A. Easterlin. As far as the second trend of conceptual research is concerned - the one of sociological background - the attention was drawn to conceptions of intermediating variables by K. Davies - J. Blacke, J. Bongaarts, R. Freedman and also - to the theory of declined fertility by J. Caldwell. After the review - presented in the article - o f conceptions met in contemporary social sciences one can be oriented in main directions of scientific research. Macro-economic approach was determined by theories of welfare. And then conceptions built on micro-social plane have a character of hypotheses rather very theoretical and speculative. The role of economic factor played in procreative decisions was proved, together with its imminent effect and - above all - indirect influence through other factors.