Demography Flashcards
Change in Birth rate / Reasons
1900: 28.7 / 2014: 12.2
1. Change in women’s position (legal equality, education, paid employment, access to divorce, contraception and abortion) (Harper: education most important due to change in mindset. 2012: 1 in 5 women aged 45 were childless)
2. Decline in IMR (1900: 154-1950s: 30-2012: 4) (Harper: lower IMR = less need to have children)
3. Children are an economic liability
4. Child centredness (quality > quantity)
Future trends in birth rates
2012: 25% of births were from immigrants
2041: 800,000
Effects of changes in birth rates
Family: women have more freedom so can seek work and have higher standards of living. Dependency ratio (short run): fall in number of children reduces the burden of dependency on workers. Dependency ratio (long run): leads to less future workers and an ageing population so increased burden of dependency on workers. Public services and policies: lower birth rates = less schools needed, changes in houses needed (ageing population)
Change in death rate / reasons
1900: 19 - 2012: 8.9
1. Health: Tranter: over 3/4 of decline in death rate from 1850 to 1970 was due to a fall in deaths from measles, smallpox and TB.
2. Improved nutrition: McKeown argues improved nutrition accounted for up to half reduction death rates and was important in reducing deaths from TB.
3. Medical improvements: post 1950s increased medical knowledge reduced death rates.
4. Smoking: Harper argues reduction in smoking has been biggest cause.
5. Public health: Clean Air Acts, NHS
Impact of decrease in death rate
- Males born in England in 1900 average life was 50 (57 for females)
- Males born in England in 2013 average life will be 90.7 (94 for females)
- Harper argues we will soon achieve ‘radical longevity’ with many more centenerians (currently about 10,000 but by 2100: 1 mil) (Ageing population)
Ageing population
Average age in 1971: 34.1 - 2013: 40.3 (By 2041: many 78 year olds as 5 year olds) (Causes: life expectancy, IMR and fertility)
Effects:
1. Public services: Older peeps are largest consumers
2. One person pensioner households: have increased and now account for 12.5% of all households (most female). Among the over 75s there are twice as many women as men ‘feminisation of later life’
3. 2015: 3.2 people of working age for every pensioner. (predicted to fall to 2.8 by 2033) However age of drawing pension is increasing. By 2020 it will be 66.
4, Growth of ageism (Elaborated)
Ageism in modernity and postmodernity
Modern: Identity comes from ‘structured dependency’.
- Elderly are excluded from work leading to stigmatised identity due to position in production.
- Philipson: we are no longer beneficial to capitalism so ignored by the state.
Postmodern: Identity comes from consumption.
- Blurred boundaries between stages in life.
- Hunt: elderly lead to a market (gym, cosmetic surgery and other goods that can form identity).
- This breaks down anti-ageing stereotypes (Centrality of the media / emphasis on surface features)
History of Immigration
- 1900 - WW2: Irish were main immigrant (followed by Eastern European and Central European Jews, Canadians and Americans) all white.
- 1950s: Caribbean
- 1960s / 1970s: South Asian (Indian, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh)
- 1980s: Ethnic minorities accounted for 1/4 of immigrants.
- 2011: 14% of population ethnic minority
- 1962 - 1990: Many acts placing restrictions on on-white immigration.
History of Emigration
- 16th Century to 1980: UK net exporter due to economic push and pull factors.
Impact of Migration of Population
- Increased Size: 2014: Net migration 260,000 (47,38,14) / Birth: 2011: 25% of births were from immigrants.
- Average Age: Decreases UK passport holder 41 (31)
- Dependency burden: Decreases Directly through more workers,
Causes of Globalisation
- Expansion of media, EU, global markets and fall of communism.
Differentiation
- Many different types of migrant
- Vertovec: ‘super-diversity’ (wider range of countries and differences amongst them)
- Cohen: Citizens, Denizens and Helots.
- Citizens: Full citizenship rights
- Denizens: privileged foreign nationals welcomed by the state.
- Helots: literally slaves.
Acceleration
- Increase in Immigration as a result of globalisation
- UN (2000 - 2013): Global migration up by 33%
Feminisation of Migration
- Today 1/2 of migrants are female.
- This leads to patriarchal roles such as sexual services
- Shutes: 60% of care nurses migrants
Migrant Identities
- Nation of origin becomes sense of identity for migrants.
- Eade: second generation Bangladeshi migrants develop hierarchical identities (Muslim, Bengali then British)
- Erikson: globalisation has led to more diverse identity patterns (Chinese migrants in Rome found Mandarin more useful due to contacts)
Politicisation of migration
- Assimilation: encouraging immigrants to adapt to host culture.
- Multiculturalism: accepts migrants may wish to maintain their culture.
- Eriksen: Shallow diversity: regarding chicken tikka as Britain’s national dish. Deep diversity: arranged marriages.
- Castles: 1 is counterproductive because they mark minority groups as culturally backward leading to these minorities exaggerating cultural differences.
- Divided working class: Assimilation causes workers to blame migrants for problems. Castles and Kosack: this benefits capitalism.
