Demographic change in the UK

Question 1

Reasons for the trends in birth, fertility and infant mortality rates in the UK

Answer 1

-Economic position of women
-Costs of children
-Contraception
-Reduction in infant mortality

Question 2

Economic position of women

Answer 2

-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

Question 3

Cost of children

Answer 3

-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

Question 4

Contraception

Answer 4

-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

Question 5

Reduction in infant mortality

Answer 5

-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

Question 6

Impacts of reduced birth and fertility rates

Answer 6

-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

Question 7

Causes of an ageing population

Answer 7

-Declining fertility rate in UK
-Increased life expectancy

Question 8

Declining fertility rates in UK

Answer 8

-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

Question 9

Increased life expectancy

Answer 9

-Greater advances in medical technology
-Healthier lifestyles and diets
-Less dangerous occupations
-Better understanding of impacts on health

Question 10

Impacts of ageing population (1)

Answer 10

-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

Question 11

Impacts of ageing population (2)

Answer 11

-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

Question 12

Making the population younger

Answer 12

-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

Question 13

Push factors of migration

Answer 13

-Conflict
-Lack of employment
-Lack of resources
-Poverty
-Political situation

Question 14

Pull factors

Answer 14

-Employment
-Education
-Standard of living
-Family
-Climate

Question 15

Impacts of globalisation on migration

Answer 15

-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

Question 16

Impacts of migration

Answer 16

-Multiculturalism- increased migration= greater diversity in UK
-Hybridity- development of hybrid cultures such as British Asian that combines elements of British and Asian cultures

Question 17

Other impacts of migration

Answer 17

-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

Question 18

Reasons for decrease in family size

Answer 18

-Increased cost of child-rearing
-Greater geographical mobility of the family
-Changes in gender roles
-Increased contraception

Question 19

Greater geographical mobility of family

Answer 19

-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

Question 20

Changes in gender roles

Answer 20

-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

Question 21

Impacts of smaller families

Answer 21

-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

Question 22

Why are people living longer?

Answer 22

-Advances in medicine
-Changes in lifestyles
-Changes to employment
-Higher standards of living

Question 23

Advances in medicine

Answer 23

-Creation of the NHS and the welfare state
-Research and development into medicines
-Greater use of technology in medical assessments, e.g, MRI scans

Question 24

Changes to lifestyle

Answer 24

-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

Question 25

Changes in employment

Answer 25

-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

Question 26

Higher standards of living

Answer 26

-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

Question 27

Evaluations of Death Rates and Life Expectancy

Answer 27

-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

Question 28

Globalisation

Answer 28

-Increased geographical mobility
-Changes in employment
-Changes in family diversity

Question 29

Impacts of globalisation on family (1)

Answer 29

-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

Question 30

Impacts of globalisation on family (2)

Answer 30

-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