Chapter 6: Demographic changes and the family

Question 1

What has happened to the population of the UK overtime between 1901 and 2015?

Answer 1

Risen largely

1901 = 37 million
2015 = 65 million

Question 2

What is the birth rate and what is the overall trend?

Answer 2

Number of births per 1000 of the population over a year

Decreased

Question 3

What are reasons for the decline in birth rate?

Answer 3

More women working (Sue Sharpe)

Improved contraception = women have more control

Increasing cohabitation (Morgan)

Changing attitudes - child-centredness (Aires)

Question 4

What has caused the slight increase in births since 2001?

Answer 4

Increase in immigration- women from outside UK have higher fertility rates

Improvements in fertility treatments

Question 5

What are the effects of changes in fertility for society?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Between 2005 and 2015, the number of males aged over 85 increased by more than…

Answer 6

50%

Question 7

What do Marxists say about the ageing popualtion?

Answer 7

Old people are no use in society after retirement

Question 8

What was the average age of people in the UK between 2013 and 1971?

Answer 8

1971: 34
2013: 40

Question 9

What did Hockey and James say about the aging population?

Answer 9

Old age is a social construction

Many people retirement age are capable of carrying out social roles

Question 10

What are the effects of an ageing population?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What government policy arose as a result of the ageing population?

Answer 11

Taxation policies: smaller proportion of population working and paying tax

Health care spending

Policies to encourage marriage and procreation

Question 12

What did Cumming and Henry say about the ageing population?

Answer 12

See disengagement of older people from society as beneficial as it allows jobs to be filled by younger members of society

Question 13

What is net migration?

Answer 13

Difference between the number of long-term immigrants entering and the number of long-term migrants leaving the country

Question 14

From the 1950s what was the trend in immigration?

Answer 14

Immigration from Caribbean and Asian continent increased

Question 15

In the 1970 and 1980s what was the emigration trend?

Answer 15

Britain was a net explorer of people

Many UK citizens left to start new lives in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

Question 16

What is assimilation?

Answer 16

Belief that immigrants should take on the culture of a new country.

Question 17

What is multiculturalism?

Answer 17

Distinctiveness of an immigrant group should be preserved.

Question 18

What factors affect migration?

Answer 18

Legal migration: affected by laws

Illegal migration: attempts to cross borders without necessary documentation

1999 Immigration and Asylum act

Question 19

What is the impact of immigration on the family?

Answer 19

Ethnic diversity

Largest minority ethnic groups are south Asian or African Caribbean

More recent immigration from Eastern Europe coming into UK

Question 20

What did CASTLES and MILLER say about migration?

Answer 20

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)

Question 21

What is meant by VERTOVEC’s ‘super-diversity’ of migration?

Answer 21

Involves the rapid growth of migration of different ethnic and nationalities.

Question 22

What did BALLAD say about migration?

Answer 22

The outcome of forcing assimilation = people who try and force assimilation may make divisions between groups wider

Question 23

What did DONALD and RATTANSI say about migration?

Answer 23

Multiculturalism can cause tension such as exploitation, discrimination and inequality

Question 24

What did CHAMBERS say about the effect of globalisation on the family?

Answer 24

Mother and children may be separated, which can be traumatic

People tend to marry within their cultural group to maintain traditions

Question 25

What is the fertility rate and what is the overall trend?

Answer 25

Number of births per 1000 women ages 15 to 44 over a year

Decreased

Question 26

What is the death rate and what is the overall trend?

Answer 26

Number of deaths per 1000 of the population over a year

Decreased

Question 27

What contributes towards the increasing population size in the UK?

Answer 27

Fighting as part of the commonwealth in WW2

People given right to live in UK

Question 28

What has caused the fluctuations in the birth-rate?

Answer 28

‘Baby boom’

After world wars

Question 29

What are the reasons for the declining death rate?

Answer 29

Developments in medicine

Better nutrition and living standards: ROWNTREE ET AL - increased living standards allowed significant improvements in diet - better nutrition to counter disease

Lifestyle changes - reductions in smoking

Government provision of welfare and health improved

Question 30

What did ROWNTREE ET AL say about the decline in death rate?

Answer 30

Rapid decline in absolute poverty

Increased living standards allowed significant improvement in diet

Better nutrition to counter disease