demography Flashcards
reasons for decline in birth rates AO1
changing positions of women:
laws outlawing equal pay act = more women working
HARPER - increased educational achievements
changes in divorce law = easier access to divorce
children as an economic liability:
until 19th century kids were economic assets as they went to work from an early age.
now they’re economic liability because: compulsory education = kids remain economically dependent for longer, as a result = parents may be unable to afford to have a large family
fall in the infant mortality rate:
improved housing and better sanitation
better services for mothers and children
mass immunisation against childhood diseases
if infants survive, parents have fewer and they don’t have to replace the dead ones
birth rate
the number of live births per 1,000 of the population per year
infant mortality rate
the number of infants who die before their 1st birthday, per 1,000 babies born alive per year
exceptions of decline in birth rates
baby booms - after world wars - returning servicemen having babies they postponed
effects of changes in fertility
the family:
smaller families mean that the women are more likely to be free to go out to work - dual-earner
dependency ratio:
relationship between the size of the working population and the non-working dependent population.
children make up a large part of the ratio so fall in number of children reduces the ‘burden of dependency’ on working population.
BUT in the long term, fewer babies will mean fewer adults and a smaller working population - so ratio may increase again
vanishing children: falling fertility rates = fewer children. could result in a lonelier childhood
PUBLIC SERVICES AND POLICIES
Low birth rates = fewer schools, maternity and child services
Ageing population: fewer babies = average age of population is rising – more older people than younger = pressure on NHS
reasons for decline in death rates
improved nutrition:
better nutrition and increased resistance to infection, increased chance of survival of those infected
medical improvements:
introduction of antibiotics,
setting up of NHS 1948
immunisation
public health improvements:
improvements in housing,
purer drinking water,
pasteurisation of milk
smoking and diet:
Reduction in people smoking
Obesity has replaced smoking as the new lifestyle epidemic
Deaths from obesity kept low - American health culture: where lifestyles are unhealthy, but where a long lifespan is achieved by the use of costly medication
reasons for decline in death rates - improved nutrition AO2
improved nutrition accounted for up to half the reduction in death rates
reasons for decline in death rates - improved nutrition Ao3
doesn’t explain why females who receive a smaller share of family food, live longer than men
reasons for decline in death rates - smokign and diet ao2
2012, ¼ of adults = obese
death rate
the number of deaths per 1.000 of the population, per year
death rate trend
1900 - 19
2012 - 8.9
= more than halved
life expectancy
how long on average a person born in a given year can expect to live
life expectancy trends
males born 2013 = 90.7 years
females = 94 years old
males born 1900 - live until 50
females - 57
reason for low life expectancy in 1900 - many infants and children did not survive
AO3 class, gender and regional differneces
despite the overall reduction of death rates and increase in life expectancy - still differences
women live longer than men
those living in the North and Scotland have a lower life expectancy than those in the South
working-class men 3x more likely to die before 65 comparedred to men in professional jobs
if trend with greater life-span continues what does HARPER. predict will happen
we will achieve ‘radical longevity’ with many people over 100 - by 2100 it will be 1 million people living to 100
what causes the ageing population
increasing life expectancy
declining infant mortality
declining fertility
ageing population ao2 trend
average age in UK – 1971 = 34 years, 2007 = 39
ageism
negative stereotype and unequal treatment of people on the basis of their age
effects of the ageing population
public services:
older people consume a larger proportion of services such as health and social care than other age groups
dependency ratio:
economically dependent
while an increase in the number of old people raises the ratio in an ageing population, this is offset by a declining number of dependent children.
ageism
– negative stereotype and unequal treatment based on age
ageism is a result of ‘structured dependency’
- Old are excluded from paid work
- status determiend by our role in production
- those excluded form production = depednent status
effects of the ageing population - ageism Ao3
Pilcher – inequalities such as class and gender remain important – many of these rely on the individual’s previous occupation:
Middle class = better pensions
effects of the ageing population - dependency ratio ao2
2015, 3.2 people of working age for every one pensioner
effects of the ageing population - dependency ratio ao3
wrong to assume ‘old’ equals ‘economically dependent’
ageism in older people
shows itself In discrimination in employment and unequal treatment in healthcare
marxist view on ageism towards old people
the old are no use to capitalism because they’re no longer productive.
as a result the state is unwilling to support them adequately so their family has to take responsibility of their care
