Birth Rate Flashcards
Birth rate
The number of live births per 1000 of the population per year
General trend of the birth rate
Decreasing
Reasons for the decline in the birth rate
Changes in the position of women, decline in the infant mortality rate, children are now an economic liability, child centeredness
Infant mortality rate
The number of infants who die before their first birthday per 1000 babies born alive per year
Why is the infant mortality rate decreasing according to Harper?
If many infants die, parents have more children to replace those they have lost, thereby increasing BR. By contrast, if more infants survive parents have fewer
What does Harper believe the most important reason for the fall in the birth rate is?
The education of women: women now seek other possibilities in life apart from the traditional expressive role. Many are choosing to delay childbearing or not to have kids at all
Infant mortality rate in 1900 compared to 2012
1900 -> 154
2012 -> 4
Factors leading to the fall in the IMR over time
Improved sanitation, reduced infectious diseases, better nutrition, better knowledge of hygiene, child health and welfare
How have children become an economic liability?
Laws banning child labour and introduction of compulsory schooling meant that children remain economically dependent on their parents for longer
How have families becoming more child-centred led to a decrease in the birth rate?
Child centredness of society as a whole has encouraged a shift from quantity to quality. Parents have fewer children now and spend more attention and resources on these few
Total fertility rate
The average number of children women will have during her childbearing years (15 to 44)
Total fertility rate in 1964, compared to 2021
1964-> 2.95
2021 -> 1.6
Average age of giving birth
30
Dependency ratio
The relationship between the size of the working part of the population versus the size of the nonworking part of the population
Vanishing children
Children make experience a lonely, a childhood, with no siblings
