Demographic Changes Flashcards
Define Demography
The sociological study of population trends which are dependant on birth, fertility, death and migration rates
What is the main reasons for shifts in the UK population
Either an increase or a reduction in the number of Births
Statistic on the UK birth rate
It has steeply declined
The number of live births per 1,000 of the population over a year - from 28 in 1900 to 11 in 2007
Statistic on the Total Fertility rate (TFR)
Refers to the average number of children a women has in her lifetime
1900 the TFR was 3.5 compared to 1.94 in 2007
Why has the TFR fell
As women’s attitudes towards family life changed as more of them entered higher education and as career opportunities became available.
What does Wilkinson note that supports the fall in TFR and who’s survey supports this
She notes that having children became less of a priority for women in the 1980s and 1990s.
Sharpes survey of girls in the 1970s compared with girls in 1990 confirms this statement
What did the availability of the pill coincide with
The feminisation of the economy and workforce
How did the pill and the feminised workforce affect birth rates
Women started to marry and have children later in life. Consequently the age groups 35-40+ has had a large increase in fertility rates.
Has there been fluctuations in birth rate and what are they
Yes
There have been ‘baby booms’, these followed the two World Wars and one in the late 1980s
Since 2001, birth rate has ______ _______
Steadily increased
What was the birth rate like in 2010 and why was this
The highest it has been for 37 years because of the immigration from Eastern Europe and Africa
Statistic on births from mothers from overseas
Babies born to mothers from overseas accounted for 24% of all births in 2008 compared with 14% in 1998
During the 20th what did the birth rates do
Fall steeply
Explain the reason ‘better health’ had on birth rates in the 20th century
Better diet and nutrition, hygiene, housing and public health measures meant that most babies survived into adulthood. People therefore no longer needed to have lots of children to ensure that one or two survived into adulthood
Explain the reason ‘better economic opportunities’ had on birth rates in the 20th century
Jobs for adults and introduction of the welfare state meant that children were no longer needed as economic assets or insurance for old age by working-class parents and so they chose to have fewer of them
Explain the reason ‘improved living standards’ had on birth rates in the 20th century
So having children became more expensive and consequently married couples chose to limit the size of their families
Explain the reason ‘contraceptive pill’ had on birth rates in the 20th century
From the 1970s the contraceptive pill became more widely available on the NHS. This gave women the power to control their own fertility.
Have families got bigger or smaller over the past hundred years
Smaller
How does family size now compare to the family size of victorians
The modern day nuclear family averages about two children compared to the Victorian family which averaged between five to six children
In 2017 why did many women choose to be childless
They would prefer to pursue a career and a high standard of living. This led to an increase in child-free couples and single female households
Are children now less likely to have siblings
Yes, children in 2014 are less likely to have siblings compared with children in 1964 because women are having fewer children at a much later age compared with their mothers and grandmothers
Does the UK have an ageing population and what does this mean
Yes
Means that the average age of the population is increasing and that elderly people are beginning to outnumber younger people
What is an ageing population caused by
Lower birth rates and increased life expectancy
Statistic that shows that life expectancy has increased in the UK
In 1851 it was 40 years for males and 44 years for females.
However now, males and females born in 2004, the females can live to 81 years and males to 76
What is the reason behind increasing life expectancy and decline of dear rates in the early 20th century
Introduction of public health measures, better housing and a rise in living standards
Why did after World War 2 the death rate still decline and life expectancy rise
Because it led to the introduction of the NHS, in 1948, which initiated mass vaccination of children and increased the use of drugs such as antibiotics to treat illnesses.
What other things improved after World War 2
The introduction of the welfare state, particularly sickness and disability benefits, better pensions, free school meals, care houses etc
Are there problems associated with the ageing population
Yes
Is there an increasing or decreasing age dependency ratio and what does this mean
Increasing age dependency ratio
This refers to the fact the number of elderly dependents in UK society outnumbers the number of workers whose taxes fund their pensions
Is there an increase or decrease in public spending and what does this mean
Increase in public spending
Elderly people tend to be the main recipients of health care, social services and adult social care spending
Are the elderly experiencing loneliness and isolation and what does this mean
Yes they are
Old age can be socially isolating and lonely. The elderly can grow dependant on extended kin, especially if their health deteriorates. This can result in pressures in their relatives
Is the number of extended families growing as the ageing population increases
Yes
Children care for and support elderly relatives as their physical and mental health deteriorates. Elderly relatives may move into homes of their children because they may not have the economic resources to go into private residential care homes
What do feminists argue about the ageing population
That caring for the elderly may increase domestic burden on women who take most of the responsibility for caring in families. Caring for extended kin may also result in financial hardship for the family because one partner may have to give up work to help look after the elderly full time
Is there likely to be a growth in single person households and why
Yes with elderly women as they live longer than men
Are there benefits associated with an ageing population
Yes
What might an ageing population have on the affect on relationships between grandparents and grandchildren
There may be more qualitative and enriching contact between them. this may result in more positive experiences of socialisation as grandparents pass on life-lessons.
What is some positive evidence on the elderly
They make a great contribution to society as workers, voluntary workers, consumers and grandparents
What did Julia Brannen (2003) identify
A new type of family that she calls the ‘beanpole family’. This family has less aunts, uncles and cousins compared with previous generations.
It is also likely to include four generations because great-grandparents are more likely to be alive because of increased live expectancy
What do beanpole families often include
A ‘sandwich generation’ made up of older middle-aged people, especially women who are caught between giving financial and practical help to their own adult children and taking responsibility for the care of their parents
