Death rate and ageing population (+ effects of) Flashcards
Trends in the death rate
Number of birth exceeds number of deaths
Death rate has steadily fallen in UK
2014 - 9.43 deaths per 1000 of the population
Life expectancy changes
1851- life expectancy for females was 44, males just 40
2013 - 83.6 females and 78.7 males
Explanations for fall in death rate
McKeown:
1. Rising wages lifts people out of poverty - better standard of living and diets
2. Public health - sanitation, clean water and vaccinations
3. Provision of council housing for poor
4. Maternity care
5. Welfare state post WW2
6. Creation of the NHS 1948
Ageing UK population
Significantly more over 65s than 250 years ago, fewer children
1821 - 27% of population were children, just 5.5% today
2011 census - just over 50s make up 35% of population, teenagers 30%
Ageing UK population Chambers 2012
Elderly population is not a uniform group - vary in gender, class, ethnicity
Often stereotyped as unproductive and dependent - 16% of 64-75 year olds are economy active and play an active role in family
Seen as an economic burden - Chambers suggests they should be seen as a resource - own consumer maker ‘silver shoppers’
Reasons for ageing population
A decline in death rate
-Rise in life expectancy
Decline in fertility rate
Effect of ageing population - Grandparenting
Chambers - grandparents beneficial to family environment, have better relationships with grandchildren than before, now live longer and contribute to socialisation of children
Ben - Galim and Silim (2013) - grandmothers put in more childcare than grandfathers
Statham (2011) - mothers in education/work, 71% receive childcare from grandparents, 35% rely on grandparents as main source of childcare
Effects of ageing population - beanpole families
Brannen (2003) - more likely to experience vertical intergenerational families. ‘Pivot generation’ between younger and older are more likely to meet needs of elderly parents
- Ageing population, push of women in education, decline in fertility and increase in divorce led to four generation families, less likely to experience horizontal intergenerational ties
Effects of ageing population - Elderly couple households
Elderly couples living independently increased 2001 - 52.6% to 2011 - 56.8%
Only 3.7% live in residential/sheltered housing
If one partner becomes sick, suggested that other is likely to become main care giver
Effects of ageing population - Elderly one-person households
65 and over who live alone, 65% are women (women tend to live longer) - ‘feminisation of later life’
2013 - 14% of all households, 47% of all one -person households
2013 - 1.7 million widowed women aged 65 and over living alone
Chambers - family support for elderly one parent households is less available due to:
1. Families getting smaller - more couples only having one child
2. Women only choosing to have one child
3. Increased geographically mobility - grandparents may live further away than previously
Effects of ageing population - economic consequences
Rutherford - believes future governments are going to have to fund NHS and pensions - ageing population will increase strain on NHS and care homes - likely that families will be asked to make contributions
Ageing population result in more dependent people with less of a workforce to support them - ‘burden of dependency’
Effect of ageing population - extended families
Lievesley (2013) _ extended families containing elderly relatives are more likely in British Asian communities
2011 census - Soule et al - 42% of Asian men and 68% of Asian women aged 85+ live in multi-generational households, compared to 12% of white men, 19% white women
Wall (1998) - thought multiple generations under one roof was in decline (1950 - 40% of elderly living with relatives, 1990 - 5%)
Evidence it is increasing Victoria (2010) - 10% of those aged 65+ live with multi-generational families
May be as a result of rising economic pressures
Effects of ageing population - views of feminists
Feminists - women take disproportionate responsibility for elderly parents, leads to economic inequality as daughters’s are more likely to give up work (More likely to end up economically dependent on men)
-Creates additional economic pressures
-Healey and Yarrow (1997) - majority moved into daughter’s household
2011 census - 58% of carers of the elderly are female
Effects of ageing population - interactionists
-Introduction of elderly relatives into nuclear family changes relationships
- Female carers may become stressed/emotionally burdened
-Female carers may become resentful about her economic independence having to sacrificed
-Working spouse may feel neglected, caring responsibly may limit career progression, especially if it involves relocation
-Parent - child relations may deteriorate - everyday life is undermined by parents attention to grandparents
