Demographics Flashcards
Demographics? What does that mean?
The study of populations and their characteristics.
The Birth Rate is falling.
- The birth rate = the proportion of women who are of the childbearing age.
- Total fertility rate = average number of children women have during their fertile ages.
- Healthy TFR - 2.1, we have 1.66.
- To prevent an ageing population, we must compensate by having at least two children.
The B.R is falling because of Women’s changing position in society.
Harper + Education
Women’s suffrage, educational opportunities, paid employment, outlawing sex discrimination, changing social attitudes, access to divorce, contraception, abortion.
Harper: education is the sole reason why there is a change in attitude among women.
Women are more likely to family plan, they can choose to delay/not have any children.
2012 - 1/5 women aged 45 were childless.
Low fertility longer than one generation? Norms and values in culture change e.g. large families are selfish.
B.R is falling because of a decline in infant mortality.
Harper
Harper: declines in IMR because parents are less likely to have more kids if their first ones survive.
In 1900s, IMR was 154/1000.
Improvements in housing, nutrition, hygiene, health etc.
Medical factors only became prominent after the 1950s because of advances such as mass immunisation, antibiotics, midwifery skills.
2012 - UK IMR was 4 per 1000.
B.R is falling because children are expensive and are economic liabilities.
Prior to industrialisation, children were assets economically - but with the introduction of compulsory schooling and the ban on child labour, children became dependent for longer.
Children expect more from their parents e.g. the newest laptop.
B.R is falling because child centredness encourages parents to have fewer kids.
Quantity < Quality.
Other issues surrounding B.R - extension video.
There was an increase in births in 2001.
Mums born outside of the UK have much higher fertility rates to those born in the UK.
2040 - We should be producing approximately 800,000 children.
Birth rates affect the demands for schooling and housing and living costs.
Impact of low B.R on the Family.
Smaller families = women more likely to work = higher levels of dual earner families. BUT - richer couples can have larger families and still afford childcare whilst working full time so it is dependent on class also.
Impact of low B.R on the dependency ratio.
Dependency ratio? The relationship between the working population and non-productive population.
The earnings, taxes, and savings must support those who are not working.
Fall in children? Reduces the burden of dependency.
However, in the long run, having less children means we will have less productive adults, which increases the burden.
Lower B.R also reduces the representation of childhood in society - ‘adultist perspective’. (Berry Mayall)
Impact of a low B.R on public services and policies.
Lower B.R - fewer schools. maternity and healthy services needed which would alter the cost of maternity and paternity.
This is completely governmental though - they could simply reduce class sizes rather than removing entire schools.
Functions of society affected because we develop an ageing population.
The Death Rate is falling. We have higher life expectancy?!
Tranter
Tranter argues that 3/4 of the reason why there was a decline from 1850 to 1970 was because of the decrease in infection/disease related deaths.
Diseases of affluence - e.g. heart disease and cancer began affected middle aged people in 1950s.
Social reasons are more important BUT perhaps the population became resistant/diseases became less violent.
The D.R has fallen because of better health care, protection, treatment for life threatening illness etc.
- nutrition
- medical improvements
- smoking + diet
- public health inititatives
- manual occupations
McKeown
Harper
- Improved nutrition= McKeown - improvements accounted for half the reduction in death rates.
- Medical improvements = improved medical knowledge, techniques, efficient organisation after the 1950s led to reduced D.R.
Creation of the NHS in 1948 improved health care, medication + surgery. This reduced deaths by heart disease by 1/3. - Smoking + Diet = Harper believes that reduced smoking has saved lots of lives - now obesity is a greater issue (1/4 UK adults 2012). American culture is promoting unhealthy lifestyles. But we have longer lifespans bc of medication…
- Public health measures - housing, purer drinking water, sewage disposal, increasingly efficient local and general governments. Clean Air Acts etc.
- Decline in dangerous manual occupations, smaller families, lifestyle changes, higher income, better education.
1900?
2000?
1900 - 1.6 billion people in the world.
2000 - 6.1 billion people in the world.
What is the rate of natural increase? crude birth rates - crude death rates.
D.R impact on life expectancy.
Harper + Radical longevity
Death rate falling universally = life expectancy rising universally.
Child mortality rates have reduced so we can expect to live longer.
Person born today has a higher chance of reaching its 65th birthday than a 1900 baby reaching its first.
‘Radical longevity’ - Harper = we have more centenarians than ever before.
What about D.R differences due to class/gender/region?
Walker
Women live longer than men however lifestyle changes equalise men and women - more women smoke now than 1950s.
Living up north have shorter life expectancies than the south.
Walker - poorer areas die 7 years earlier than those living in rich areas.
The Ageing Population IS growing. What is the effect on public services?
The elderly require higher proportions of health and care services than other age groups. Those who are above 75 require constant health care, support for moving around, and a source of stable financial income. Change in policy need to reflect this requirement effectively.
What is the effect of the Ageing population on households?
ageing = elderly = single pensioner
1/8 of all UK households are single pensioner households - women are more likely to be single because they are more likely to outlive their husbands.
