births Flashcards
(17 cards)
Total fertility rate
Factors determining birth rates
women who are of childbearing age, how many children they have. UK’s TFR has risen in recent years but it’s still much lower than it has been in the past.
- Women are remaining childless
- Women are postposing having children .
Changes in women’s positions
- Legal equality with me, right to vote
- Increased educational opportunities
- More women in paid employment
- outlawing unequal pay + sex discrimination
- Changes in attitudes to family life and roles
- Easier access to divorce
- Access to abortion and contraception
what did Harper say about the education of women.
Harper – education of women is the most important thing for the long-term fall in birth and fertility rates. Change in mind set among women, resulting in fewer children. Educated women may see other possibilities in life apart from family planning.
in 2012, how many women aged 45 were childless.
In 2012, 1/5 women aged 45 were childless, double the number 25 years before.
what did Harper say about effects of patterns in fertility in families?
once a pattern of low fertility lasts for more than one generation, cultural norms about family size change. Smaller families become the norm and larger families become less acceptable.
what does harper say about the effects of the fall of the IMR
a fall in the IMR leads to a fall in the birth rate. If many infants die, parents have more children to replace them, increasing the birth rate. If infants survive, parents have less.
how do Brass and Kabir criticise Harper view that a fall in the IMR leads to a fall in the birth rate.
trend to smaller families began in urban areas, not in rural areas where the IMR began to fall.
In 1900, the IMR for the UK was 154 (over 15% of babies died within their first year) first half of 20th century, this fell because of:
- Improved housing and better sanitation. (flush toilets, clean drinking water)
- Better nutrition.
- Better knowledge of hygiene (often spread by children and women’s health magazines)
- Fall in the number of married women working may have improved health of their babies.
- Improved services for mothers and children (antenatal and postnatal clinics)
From the 1950s, medical factors began to play a greater role. (Mass immunisation from whooping cough, diphtheria, measles, antibiotics to fight infection, improved midwife techniques.)
By 1950, the UK’s IMR had fallen to 30 and by 2012, 4.
why were children considered economic assets
Until late 19th century, children were economic assets because they could be sent out to work.
which laws stopped children being economic assets to their parents
Banning child labour, introducing compulsory schooling and raising school leaving age, children remain economically dependant on their parents for longer.
Changing norms
What children have the right to expect for their parents in material terms means the cost of brining up children has risen.
Child centeredness
Increasing child centeredness has encouraged a shift from quantity to quality and parents now have fewer children and lavish more attention and resources onto the few.
future trends in birth rates
Mothers from outside the UK have higher fertility rates than those born in the UK. Babies born from mothers outside the UK accounted for 25% of all births in 2011.
how are smaller families effecting fertility?
smaller families mean women are freer to go out to work thus creating a dual earner couple. However, better of couples may be able to have larger families and still afford childcare.
how is the dependency ratio damaged by a declining birth rate?
earnings, savings and taxes of the working population must support the dependant population. A fall in number of children reduces the ‘burden of responsibility’. Fewer babies being born will mean a smaller working population and burden of responsibility may increase.
Vanishing children
fewer children = may be a lonelier experience. Childless adults may mean fewer voices speaking up in support of children’s interests. But fewer children may mean the children feel more valued.
how are public services and policies effected by changing birth rates?
fewer schools, maternity, childcare services maybe needed. Affects the cost of maternity and paternity leave (political decisions)
