Gilhespy - Demography Flashcards
Describe how birth rate patterns have changed over past years:
- There has been a long term decline in birth rate from 1900 (28.7) until 2001. The birth rate then increased, peaking at 12.8 in 2012, then decreasing again, to 11.3 in 2023.
Why have their been changes in fertility and birth rates?
- More UK born women are remaining childless now than in the past.
-Women are postponing having children. The average age for giving birth is now 30.9 years, and despite fertility rates for women in their 30s and 40s being on the increase, they have less years of fertility and therefore produce less children.
Explain the reason for declining birth rates: Changes in the position of women (Harper).
- Harper (2012) argues that women’s education is the main factor which has led to the long term decline in fertility rates. She argues it has led to a change in women’s mindset, resulting in fewer children. This is due to women being more educated now, and so being more likely to use family planning. Furthermore, education now provides other possibilities in life apart from the tradition wife/mother role. This means women are increasingly delaying to have children, or choosing to remain childless - so they can pursue a career. In 2020, roughly one in five women reaching the age of 45 were childless
Explain the reason for declining birth rates: Decline in the infant mortality rate.
-The infant mortality rate measures how many babies die before their first birthday, per thousand babies born alive, per year.
-Harper argues that a fall in the IMR leads to a fall in birth rate. This means that because more infants are surviving, parents are having less children to ‘replace’ the ones they would have lost. In 1900, the IMR for the UK was 154, in 2021, the IMR was 4.
Explain the reason for declining birth rates: Children as economic liabilities.
-Until the late 19th century, Children were viewed as economic assets to their families as they could be sent out to work at a young age to earn an income. However, since the late 19th century, laws banning child labour, introducing compulsory schooling, and raising the school leaving age means children are more of an economic liability, because they are dependent on their parents for longer. Furthermore, changing norms about what children have the right to expect from their parents in material terms has meant that the cost of raising children has risen. As a result of these financial pressures, parents now feel less willing or able to have larger families, and for some it puts them off having children at all.
Explain the reason for declining birth rates: Child centeredness.
-There has been an increasing child centeredness of both the family and of society as a whole which means that childhood is now socially constructed as a uniquely important period of an individual’s life. In terms of family size, this has encouraged a shift from ‘quantity’ to ‘quality’. Parents now have fewer children and lavish more attention and resources on these few.
Need a flashcard on the impact of declining birth rates.
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Explain the trend in death rates over time with specific examples:
-In the UK, the overall number of deaths has remained stable since 1900, at around 600,000 deaths per year. However, there have been some fluctuations. In 19000 the death rate was 19 whereas in 2019 the death rate was 9.1.
Explain the reason for the decline in death rate: Decline in deaths from infectious diseases.
-Tranter (1996) argued that over three quarters of the decline in the death rate from about 1850 to 1970 was due to a fall in the number of deaths from infectious diseases such as measles, smallpox, tuberculosis and typhoid. Most of the decline in the death rate occurred among infants, children, and young adults. There are several possible reasons for the decline in deaths for infection. It is thought that social factors, e.g. vaccinations, improved services, education on sanitation, have had an impact on infectious diseases. However, it is possible that the population began to develop some natural resistance or that some diseases became less powerful.
Explain the reason for the decline in death rate: Medical improvements
-Before the 1950s, medical improvements played almost no part in the reduction of deaths from infectious diseases. However, after this, improved medical knowledge, techniques and organisations did help to reduce death rates. Advances included the introduction of antibiotics, immunisation, blood transfusions, and improved maternity services. Also, the NHS was set up in 1948.
