Trends In Birth Rate And Family Size Flashcards
What is the trend for birth rate and family size ?
Birth rate and family size is decreasing
What are the reason for trends in birth rate and family size
- Changing social attitudes to children
- Popularity of postmodernism
- Changing role of women
What are the points for reason 1: changing social attitudes to children ?
- “childless” to “child free”
- child centredness
- the cost of child
What does childless to childfree say ?
Late work class families saw fewer children as a way of improving living standards and childlessness was seen as unfortunate
- but child free is seen as as a chosen lifestyle option
What is child centeredness ?
Society has become more child-centred more concerned with child well being than in the past but cost and time for children has increased so parents focus on raising small number of children
What does cost of child say and statics ?
- 1 in 5 parents delayed in having children due to cuts in child benifit and cost of parenting
- Parents spend £460 on year on things they do not need due to children pestering them e.g sweets , junk food
What are the points for popularity of postmodernism ?
- Beck: individualisation
- Giddens: confluent love
- Beck : risk society
- Giddens: reflexivity
What are the points for changing role of women ?
- Sue sharpe: changing women’s aspirations
- women’s rising levels of educational achievement : Bhrolochain ans Beaujouan
- women’s greater participation in labour force
What women’s rising level of educational achievement ?
Rising level of educational attainment amongst women
- women staying longer in education so want fewer children
- so will have families much later
What are the theories for women’s rising level of educational achievement?
Bhrolchain and Eva Beaujouan
What does women’s greater participation in the labour act force say ?
Equal pay act and sex discrimination act so more focused on work and have children later
