Final answer:
The historical change from low life expectancy and high birth rates to high life expectancy and low birth rates is known as the demographic transition. It involves different stages characterized by changes in birth rates, death rates, and life expectancy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The historical change from a society with low life expectancy and high birth rates to one with high life expectancy and low birth rates is referred to as the demographic transition. This process is characterized by different stages. In Stage 1, birth, death, and infant mortality rates are all high, while life expectancy is short. As countries begin to industrialize, they enter Stage 2, where birth rates are higher while infant mortality and death rates drop. In Stage 3, birth rates decline while life expectancy continues to increase. Finally, in Stage 4, birth and death rates are low, people are healthier, and society enters a phase of population stability.