Demographic change in the UK Flashcards
Reasons for the trends in birth, fertility and infant mortality rates in the UK
-Economic position of women
-Costs of children
-Contraception
-Reduction in infant mortality
Economic position of women
-As employment of women increases, birth and fertility rates fall
-Evidenced through increases in female employment throughout later part of 20th century and reduction in birth and fertility rates
-Women delaying having children until later in life which reduces number of children they choose to have
Cost of children
-Cost of raising a child= roughly £150,000-£180,000 in 21st century
-Increased child-centredness and pester power= contributed to this
-Previous generations= children gained money for parents, now parents are spending money on their children
-Buchanan and Rotkirch= cost was a factor for women surveyed in deciding on having children
Contraception
-Availability and effectiveness of contraception in recent years= women have greater control over their reproductive rights
-Legislation of abortion 1969= helped to control number of unwanted pregnancies
-Greater awareness of STIs= greater usage of contraception in recent years
Reduction in infant mortality
-Women= having fewer children as they are more certain that their children will live into childhood
-Previous generations= opposite
-Women will delay having children as previously it was thought there was more danger in having children over the age of 30
Impacts of reduced birth and fertility rates
-Fewer children in society= increases average age of UK population
-Fewer children to replace adult workforce= imbalance in the dependency ratio in years to come
-Declining birth rate and death rate= ageing population
Causes of an ageing population
-Declining fertility rate in UK
-Increased life expectancy
Declining fertility rates in UK
-Increased involvement of women in employment has led to less children being born
-Increased expense of children- people choosing to have fewer children
-People having children later in life- decreases fertility window for having children
Increased life expectancy
-Greater advances in medical technology
-Healthier lifestyles and diets
-Less dangerous occupations
-Better understanding of impacts on health
Impacts of ageing population (1)
-Key= increased strain on social care
-Changes to pensions and the retirement age= dependency ratio tipping towards more people being out of work than in paid employment
-Pension Act 2017 & 2014
-Growth of ‘grey markets’= old age as a period of consumption with more disposable income
Impacts of ageing population (2)
-Greater awareness of issues relating to old age, e.g, isolation
-Availability of housing- many living in accommodation too big for their needs blocking route for young families
-Political implications- older people= generally more conservative in their ideas
-Closer relationships with grandparents and grandchildren- taking on childcare roles, growth of beanpole families
Making the population younger
-Migration of young workers and families into UK aids the dependency ratio
-Baby boomer generations are ageing and living longer- reduction in population when this generation dies
Push factors of migration
-Conflict
-Lack of employment
-Lack of resources
-Poverty
-Political situation
Pull factors
-Employment
-Education
-Standard of living
-Family
-Climate
Impacts of globalisation on migration
-Greater co-operation between nations= free movement agreements for work and leisure, e.g, European Union
-Global conflicts= an acceleration of migration
-Global nature of employment= spread of Western companies overseas, e.g, education, healthcare and manufacturing
Impacts of migration
-Multiculturalism- increased migration= greater diversity in UK
-Hybridity- development of hybrid cultures such as British Asian that combines elements of British and Asian cultures
Other impacts of migration
-Migration controls being cited as security concerns
-Rise in nationalism as a reaction to multiculturalism which has increased reporting of incidents of racially-motivated hate crimes in recent years
Reasons for decrease in family size
-Increased cost of child-rearing
-Greater geographical mobility of the family
-Changes in gender roles
-Increased contraception
Greater geographical mobility of family
-Early industrial era= many members of extended family living together with core nuclear family
-Internal migration for employment= family needed to be more mobile to secure employment in chosen field
-Globalisation= led to migration of younger families, leaving elderly relatives behind
Changes in gender roles
-Women’s greater involvement in employment= decline in fertility rate
-Rise of dual-earner families over past 40 years= less children being born
-Males more involved in childcare than in previous generations
Impacts of smaller families
-Less children being born= ageing population
-Reduced working population in years to come- dependency ratio
-Children more unique in society and a change towards child-centredness
Why are people living longer?
-Advances in medicine
-Changes in lifestyles
-Changes to employment
-Higher standards of living
Advances in medicine
-Creation of the NHS and the welfare state
-Research and development into medicines
-Greater use of technology in medical assessments, e.g, MRI scans
Changes to lifestyle
-Healthier diets due to availability of products from around the world
-More active lifestyles- growth of gym and personal fitness industry
-Greater awareness of illness and disease plus taking preventative actions
-Greater awareness around well-being and promotion of work-life balance
Changes in employment
-Decline of traditional male jobs that increase war and tear on men’s bodies
-Health and safety legislation and employee health programmes
-State bodies created to investigate conditions at work, e.g, Health and Safety Executives
Higher standards of living
-Estimated £2500 per annum spent by each UK household on health, fitness and diet
-More leisure time and more time spent with family
-Better housing- central heating, double glazing, less damp etc
Evaluations of Death Rates and Life Expectancy
-North-South divide in terms of quality of life
-Majority of local areas in bottom 50 with lowest life expectancy at birth= North
-Top 50 local areas with highest male life expectancy at birth= south
Globalisation
-Increased geographical mobility
-Changes in employment
-Changes in family diversity
Impacts of globalisation on family (1)
-Movement away from extended family network for employment opportunities overseas
-Isolation from family for some older members
-Changes to gender roles in family as evidenced by closing gap between male and females in terms of unpaid labour in home
Impacts of globalisation on family (2)
-Increased family diversity
-Emergence of translocalism- people developing ties to more than one geographical area
-Castles and Millar= migration is a common feature of contemporary society and is accelerating and diversifying
