demography

Question 1

what is demography

Answer 1

the study of populations and their characteristics e.g. size and age structure

Question 2

factors that impact the size of a countries population

Answer 2

births
deaths
immigration
emigration

Question 3

birth rate

Answer 3

the number of live births per year per 1000 of the population

Question 4

birth rate stats

Answer 4

there had been a decrease in birth rate from 1900-2001
the birth rate has been increasing since and peaked in 2012 at 12.8 - fallen to 12.2 by 2014

Question 5

factors determining birth rate

Answer 5

the proportion of women at childbearing age
how fertile they are

Question 6

fertility rate stats

Answer 6

the total fertility rate

all time low in 2001- 1.63
rose in 2012- 1.94
far lower than its peak in 1964- 2.95

Question 7

reasons for declining birth rate (1900-2001)
CHANGES IN POSITION OF WOMEN

Answer 7

• legal equality with me- right to vote
• more educational opportunities
• more women in payed employment
• changes in attitudes to ‘women’s role’
• access to contraceptives

Question 8

harper (2012)

Answer 8

• argued that the most important reason for the decline in BR was women’s education.
• led to a changed mindset among women
• women now see other possible life choices other than traditional housewife and mother - pursuing a career
• In 2012 1/5 women at 40 had no children

Question 9

reasons for declining birth rate (1900-2001)
DECLINE IN INFANT MORTALITY RATE

Answer 9

• the number of infants who die before their first birthday per year per 1000
• improved housing and better sanitation
• better nutrition
• better knowledge of hygiene

Question 10

infant mortality rate stats

Answer 10

in 1900 IMR was 154 in the uk (15%)
by 1950 it had fallen to 30
by 2012 it was 4- barely 1/40 of the 1900 figure

Question 11

future birth rate trends

Answer 11

-there has been a fall overall but a slight increase since 2001
- one reason for this is migrations - mothered from outside the uk have higher fertility on average (account for 25% of all births in 2011)
- predicted annual births for up to 2041 is 800000

Question 12

impact of fertility changes

Answer 12

fewer children- less value placed on children’s needs in society

the dependency ratio- less children reduces the ‘burden of dependency’

Question 13

death rate

Answer 13

the number of deaths per 1000 per year

Question 14

reasons for the decline in death rate during 20th century
DECLINE FROM INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Answer 14

by 1950 ‘disease of affluence’ like heart disease of cancer were the main cause of death- overtook infectious disease

some theorise we developed a natural resistance- natural resistance

Question 15

tranter (1996)

Answer 15

3/4 of the decline in death rate from 1850- 1970 was due to the fall in infectious diseases

Question 16

reasons for the decline in death rate during 20th century
IMPROVED NUTRITION
(McKeown (1972))

Answer 16

improved nutrition accounted for up to half the reduction in death rates- important in reducing tuberculosis

however McKeown does not explain why females who eat smaller share live longer than males

Question 17

reasons for the decline in death rate during 20th century
MEDICAL IMPROVEMENTS

Answer 17

advances include introducing antibiotics, immunisation, blood transfusion and the NHS (1948)

Question 18

life expectancy

Answer 18

life expectancy refers to to how long on average a person born in a given year can expect to live

Question 19

life expectancy stats

Answer 19

in 2012 the average life expectancy has increased 78.8 for males and 82.8 years for females

Question 20

life expectancy stats

Answer 20

in 2012 the average life expectancy has increased 78.8 for males and 82.8 years for females

Question 21

ageing population stats

Answer 21

the average age of the population in 1911 was 25 in 2013 it was 40.3 and by 2037 it is projected to reach 42.8

Question 22

the ageing population is a result of three factors:

Answer 22

increased life expectancy
decline in infant mortality
decline in fertility

Question 23

effects on an ageing population
PUBLIC SERVICES

Answer 23

older people consume a larger proportion of health and social services

and ageing population may also mean there are changes to policies and provisions

Question 24

effects on an ageing population
CHANGES IN FAMILY STRUCTURE

Answer 24

there is an increase in extended families
people living longer there are an increased in multi generational and beanpole families

Question 25

effects on an ageing population
SINGLE-PERSON PENSIONER HOUSEHOLDS

Answer 25

the number of pensioners living alone has increased and single person pensioner households now account for 12.5% or one in eight of all households

Question 26

effects on an ageing population
THE DEPENDANCY RATIO

Answer 26

as the number of retired people rise, this increases the dependency ratio

however it is wrong to assume that old means someone is economically dependent

Question 27

phillipson (1982)

Answer 27

the old are no use to capitalism because they are no longer productive- as a result the state are unwilling to support them

Question 28

postmodernists on ageism

Answer 28

they argue that the fixed orderly life stage course has broken down. trends like latwr marriage and early retirement have blurred lines on life stages

they are criticised for not recognising that it is because of class and gender inequalities

Question 29

migration

Answer 29

the movement of people from place to place it can be internal or international

Question 30

immigration

Answer 30

1900-WW2- largest immigration were the irish and european jews
1950s- carribean, south asian and east asia

by 2011 minority ethnic groups accounted for 12-1% of the total population

Question 31

emigration

Answer 31

since 1900 a great number of immigrants have gone to old commonwealth countries like Canada and Australia
mainly for economic reasons for both push and pull factors