Demography Flashcards
Births
- more women are remaining childless
- Women are postponing having children until later on, avg age to have a baby is now 30
The total fertility rate
TFR is the avg number of children women will have during their fertile years.
Its risen recently but still much lower then in the past.
2001 - 1.63
2014- 1.83
1964- 2.95
The changes in the birth rate and TFR just reiterate that women are remainig childless until later on
Reasons for decline in birth rate
Changes in womens positions
- Legal equality with men
- INcreased educational opp
- More women in paid employment more equal pay ect
- Easier access to divorce
- Access to abortion
Sarah Harper argues educational equality is the main reason for a fall in birth rate. Mindsets have changed and they see other possibilities in life now.
Reasons for decline in birth rate
Decline in infant morality rate
Number of babies who die before their 1st bday
Harper argues a higher IMR means a higher BR as parents have more babies to replace the ones lost.
- Improved housing
- Better sanitation
- Better nutrition
Reasons for decline in birth rate
Children are now economic liabilities
- Laws banning child labour, introducing school and compulsory ages to leave meaning kids depend on parents longer
- Changing norms about what children have a right to expect from parents.
- Parents feel less willing to have kids
Reasons for decline in birth rate
Child centeredness
Parents have fewer children who they shower with resources and love.
Future trends in BR
There has been a slight increase in BR since 2001, due to immigrant mothers who have a higher fertility rate then those born in the UK. Babies born to immigrant mothers in 2011 accounted for 25%
Effects of changes in fertility
The family
The family sizes become smaller meaning that women are more likely to go out to work, and be dual-earner homes
However better off families are able to have more kids and still afford childcare.
Effects of changes in fertility
The dependency ratio
Effects of changes in fertility
The dependency ratio
The earnings, savings and taxes of the working population are what support the dependent population, which children make up a majority of, meaning the less children born, the decreased burden of dependancy
However in the long term, that means less young adults to work and save and earn meaning that there is a chance of increased burden of dependancy occuring again.
Vanishing children
Means less children being born, childhood is lonlier, the less adults with children means less people speaking up for rights of children.
Effects of changes in fertility
Public services and policies
Lower birth rate has consequences on public services. It also affects cost of mat/paternity and housing thats needed. These are however, political decisions so they may decide to have smaller class sizes then to have less schools
Effects of changes in fertility
Public services and policies
Lower birth rate has consequences on public services. It also affects cost of mat/paternity and housing thats needed. These are however, political decisions so they may decide to have smaller class sizes then to have less schools
Reasons for decline in the death rate
Improved nutrition
Mckeown argues that an improvement in diet accounted for upto half the reduction in death rate, and was paticularly important in reducing number of deaths from TB.
Howver he fails to exomlain why females, who has smaller shares of food actually lived longer then men and why sme diseases such as measles and infant diaorrhea increased in a time of improving nutrition.
Reasons for decline in the death rate
Medical improvements
After the 50s medical knowledge began improving and we saw death rates drop
- Antibiotics
- blood transfusion
- Improved maternity services
- Setting up of NHS in 48.
- Improved med development has reduced heart disease deaths by a third.
Reasons for decline in the death rate
Smoking and diet
Harper - The drop in death rate has come not from medical improvements but from a reduction in smoking, however this epidemic has been replaced by obesity now. In 2012 a quarter of UK adults were obese.
However deaths from obesity are low as a result of drug therapy.
Reasons for decline in the death rate
Public health measures
More laws passed and enforced leading to an imporvement in health and quality of environment
- Better housing
- Pasteurisation of milk
- Clean air acts
- Purer drinking water
- Improved sewage disposal
Reasons for decline in the death rate
Other social changes
- Decline of dangerous manual occupations
- Smaller families less rate of transmission of sickness
- Greater public knowledge of sickness
- Lifestyle changes, less smokers
- Higher incomes, healther lifestyles