Chapter 6: Demographic changes and the family Flashcards
What has happened to the population of the UK overtime between 1901 and 2015?
Risen largely
1901 = 37 million 2015 = 65 million
What is the birth rate and what is the overall trend?
Number of births per 1000 of the population over a year
Decreased
What are reasons for the decline in birth rate?
More women working (Sue Sharpe)
Improved contraception = women have more control
Increasing cohabitation (Morgan)
Changing attitudes - child-centredness (Aires)
What has caused the slight increase in births since 2001?
Increase in immigration- women from outside UK have higher fertility rates
Improvements in fertility treatments
What are the effects of changes in fertility for society?
The family - smaller - women go to work - dual earner couple
Public service - fewer schools - child health and maternity services needed
Dependency ratio - not enough working to provide tax for care for old
Between 2005 and 2015, the number of males aged over 85 increased by more than…
50%
What do Marxists say about the ageing popualtion?
Old people are no use in society after retirement
What was the average age of people in the UK between 2013 and 1971?
1971: 34
2013: 40
What did Hockey and James say about the aging population?
Old age is a social construction
Many people retirement age are capable of carrying out social roles
What are the effects of an ageing population?
Dependency ratio: increased economic burden of those working to pay taxes to cover the rest
Effects of family: especially women
Government spending: provision for welfare of elderly, increased age to receive state pension
What government policy arose as a result of the ageing population?
Taxation policies: smaller proportion of population working and paying tax
Health care spending
Policies to encourage marriage and procreation
What did Cumming and Henry say about the ageing population?
See disengagement of older people from society as beneficial as it allows jobs to be filled by younger members of society
What is net migration?
Difference between the number of long-term immigrants entering and the number of long-term migrants leaving the country
From the 1950s what was the trend in immigration?
Immigration from Caribbean and Asian continent increased
In the 1970 and 1980s what was the emigration trend?
Britain was a net explorer of people
Many UK citizens left to start new lives in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
What is assimilation?
Belief that immigrants should take on the culture of a new country.
What is multiculturalism?
Distinctiveness of an immigrant group should be preserved.
What factors affect migration?
Legal migration: affected by laws
Illegal migration: attempts to cross borders without necessary documentation
1999 Immigration and Asylum act
What is the impact of immigration on the family?
Ethnic diversity
Largest minority ethnic groups are south Asian or African Caribbean
More recent immigration from Eastern Europe coming into UK
What did CASTLES and MILLER say about migration?
Entered ‘age of migration’ where global institutions are taking on new characteristics
Migration from wide range of countries
Different type of migrants
Feminisation: more women migrating
Political (Brexit)
What is meant by VERTOVEC’s ‘super-diversity’ of migration?
Involves the rapid growth of migration of different ethnic and nationalities.
What did BALLAD say about migration?
The outcome of forcing assimilation = people who try and force assimilation may make divisions between groups wider
What did DONALD and RATTANSI say about migration?
Multiculturalism can cause tension such as exploitation, discrimination and inequality
What did CHAMBERS say about the effect of globalisation on the family?
Mother and children may be separated, which can be traumatic
People tend to marry within their cultural group to maintain traditions
