demography Flashcards
In a nutshell
Some sociologists believe the quality of life has significantly improved, whereby life expectancy is increasing, birth rate is decreasing and infant mortality is decreasing. Technological, cultural and social change has led to such an improvement. However, some sociologists disregard this in arguing there is now an increased dependency culture which is a burden on society.
Define demography?
is the study of stats that measure the size and growth of a population e.g Birth and death rates
Decline in birth rates = The total fertility rate had ……. since ….. as in the 1960s the TFR reached peak of …… however in 2001 it reached an all time .. of …. but risen again to 1.84 by 2006
Fluctuated 1900 2.65 low 1.63
Decline in Birth rates = ‘baby ……’ in 20th C, the first … baby booms came after ww1 and WWII as surviving soldiers came home and started fams with their partners as there was instability during the war.
Baby Booms’
2
Briefly outline 4 Reasons For the decline in the birth rate
- CHANGES IN WOMEN POSITION - equality cause of law = women have better employment opp = pursuit career than kids
- DECLINE IN THE INFANT MORTALITY RATE - As IMR decreased birth rates decreased as when IMR high parents were having more children to replace the ones they lost
- CHILDREN HAVE BECOME AN ECONOMIC LIABILITY = 1900s children seen as eco asses = sent to work early = laews banned child labour and intro compulsory education = children rely eco on parents
- CONTRACEPTION AND ABORTIONS = More acceptable
IMPACT OF A DECLINING BIRTH RATE
– The dependency ratio increases - the relationship between the size of the working population and the non-working (dependent) population.
– The working population’s earnings support the dependent population through tax.
– Women are having fewer children because this reduces the ‘burden of dependency’.
– Public services - fewer schools, child health services etc.
What are the trends in: Death rate
declining since 1960s. With the exception of fluctuations in WW1, WW2 and the 1918 flu epidemic.
REASONS 4 FOR A DECLINE IN DEATH RATE
1) medical Improvements = helped reduce death rate by better maternity services, blood transfusions, better vaccines (Covid vaccines Asap)
2) BETTER NURITION = Increased resistance to infection and increased survival chances of ppl who were infected
3) PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS = housing, purer water, laws combat adulteration food and drink (they started putting fucking calories on menus but only affect was increase ED) also improved sewage disposal methods (ummm not really)
4) Social change (decline in manual labour, greater knowledge of disease) decrease of more dangerous manual occupations
Effects of decline of death rates?
- less ppl dying = average age pop increases as life expectancy of ppl is rising making pop ageing one
- older ppl need a larger proportion of public services such as healthcare and transport
- no of pensioners living alone increased to 14% these are mainly women as they tend to live longer than men
- Dependency ratio will increase there will be older economically dependent ppl who will need to depend on young pop working
decline in the birth rate + decline in the death rate =
ageing population
uk has an ageing population = back up it up
proportion of over 65s in UK increasing - almost QUARTER of the UK pop is expected to be over 65 by 2035 = proportion of over 85s in Uk as DOUBLED since 1985
Negative effect sof an ageing pop 4
1) Increased strain on public services = older ppl consume larger proportion of HC services - e.g average stay in hospital for pppl over 75 was 13 nights, whereas Uk pop as a whole had average 8 nights
2) More one-person pensioner households = female live longer then men - cause they younger than husbands
3) he rising dependency ratio = there arent enough ppl of working age to pay adequate pension through taxes or health care for the retired pop. = results in MANy elderly ppl live in poverty = because working pop is outnumbered and not able to pay large amount of taxes, state pensions isn’t enough for the needs of elderly
4) Ageism = Negative sterotyping and unequal treatment of ppl of the basis of their age - discrimination in employment because of age
AGEING POPULATION MARXIST
PHILLIPSON = The old are of no use to capitalism because they are no longer productive and an economically dependent group, adding to the dependency ratio.
AGEING POPULATION POSTMODERNIST
We can choose our identity no matter what our age is: our age no longer determines who we are. As a result of this, the elderly become a market for body maintenance and rejuvenation services and goods, such as cosmetic surgery, gym membership and anti-ageing products.
How does immigration affect the age structure of the pop? direclt and indirectly
directly = immigration asre younger, 2011 averga eage of a UK passport holder was 41 Vs I’m 31
indirectly - more fertile cause younger produce more babies
