Schultz Eduard

№ 4, 2017

• About Malthusian Trap and Demographic Growth as Causes of Radical Forms of Mass Social Protest

  On the basis of the analysis of the historical forms of radical mass pro- test, E.Schultz demonstrates inadequacy of (neo)Malthusian and structural-demographic approaches to explaining the origins of this phenomenon. According to his conclusion, the reasons for the emergence of social protest lie in psychology rather than economics. Protest is caused by the belief that the government in power is to blame for the financial deterioration and is incapable of solving this problem rather than deterioration per se. The fall in living standards, even a significant one, will not cause an outbreak of protest if an economic crisis or outsiders are to blame rather than power holders. The same applies to other classical reasons and pretexts for protest. Although deterioration of the financial situation and demographic pressures etc. can create a basis or serve as a trigger for the onset of a radical mass protest, additional condi- tions are necessary (auxiliary factors).

  DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-2017-87-4-23-34

  Pages: 23-34