DEMOGRAPHY-REASONS FOR LOWER BIRTH+FERTILITY RATES

Question 1

Why is the changing position of women in society a reason for decline in birth and fertility rates

Answer 1

• Feminist sociologists claim society has undergone a gender quake.Meaning far more opportunities in education and employment compared to the past.
• This partly due to feminisation of the economy resulting in more female friendly jobs->jobs are more service based today
• Women have legal protections today EG-equal pay act and sex discrimination act
• Therefore encourages women to pursue a career and delay child bearing.Women are waiting until they older to have children, so women have fewer children.
• Happens because older women find conception more difficult or because they don’t have the energy to have more children
• Access to legal abortions and to contraceptions reduces the likelihood of unplanned pregnancies
• Some women are avoiding childbearing all together,feminists call this voluntary childlessness
• Changing attitudes towards women->less stigma around if they choose not be mothers

Question 2

Evaluation of changing position of women

Answer 2

• Not all shift in power has occurred to all women, some still get married young
• Women aren’t free from the stigma of not having children

Question 3

Why has the decline infant mortality rates impacted lower birth and fertility rates?

Answer 3

-March of progress sociologists claim chmaging health and wellbeing is the reason for lower birth rates
SHORTER:
-In the past infant mortality rates were very high, commonplace for children to pass away before 1st birthday.Accidental deaths of children were common as they were involved in dangerous jobs
-Laws started to change which stopped children working in dangerous jobs and NHS created childhood vaccination programmes against infectious diseases eg-mumps
-Reduced likelihood of illness among children so more likely to survive to adulthood
-parents would reproduce very quickly after birth of 1st child,having big numbers of children
-Purpose was to act like an insurance policy : parents having large amounts of children was to ensure some would last into adulthood
-Infant mortality rate is a rare problem in most countries,removes need of parents needing to reproduce at a high level

Question 4

Evaluation of decline in infant mortality rates

Answer 4

• might not have been infant mortality rates that caused parents to have large families
• Unlikely infant mortality rate had an impact of family planning

Question 5

How was the cost of children impacted lower birth and fertility rates?

Answer 5

-March of progress sociologists argue that having children today is a costly business
-In the past children were regarded as an economic asset:expected to contribute towards the family both domestically and financially
-Abolition of child labour and expansion of compulsory education caused the role of children in the family to shift
ARIES:
-children stopped being regarded as mini adults and instead became an economic burden towards family life’s time went by cost of children began to increase
-Parents are expected to provide children with a range of experiences eg-toys,days out and holidays
PUGH:
-children apply pester power
-Age in which children must stay in education for has extended the time period in which children should be financially dependent on their parents
-More years are spent on purchasing things like resources and school uniforms
-Parents choose to have less children as the cant afford to have more

Question 6

Evaluation of cost of children

Answer 6

• cost doesn’t need to be factored because there are systems to support children
• few families factor in cost when having children

Question 7

How has the growth of child centredness led to decline in birth and fertility rates ?

Answer 7

-March of progress sociologists claim change in attitudes towards children is the reason for decline in birth and fertility rates
CUNNINGHAM:
-Middle of 20th century British families were completed child centred:children regarded as the most important family member with everything revolving around them
-Parents saw there children as special and in need of nurturing,unlike in the past they were seen but not heard
-Children have more of a voice, more likely to be involved in important decisions within family unit and are more of a visible presence in a family home
-Parents have fewer children to ensure the few children they have will be central to their world.Smaller families allow parents to pay their children attention they feel they deserve and ensure they are well cared for

Question 8

Evaluation of child centredness

Answer 8

• child centredness doesn’t influence the decision to have fewer children but emerges throughout when having fewer children
• practical reasons such as cost and if they are working is more practical to have fewer children