demography

Question 1

birth rate

Answer 1

the general trend:
decreasing, as women are having less children/ at a later age in their life

reasons:
- secularisation
starting a family is less of a priorty than it used to be due to religion
- increase in womens rights
women dont feel pressured into being mothers and wives
women want to/ are now more able to focus more on their careers

impact on family:
leads to smaller family sizes and so more disposable income for the family

impact on society:
fewer birth and lower populations reduce the strains of social services, healthcare and pensions

Question 2

fertility rate

Answer 2

general trend:
decreasing

reasons:
- women prioritise their careers and dont put chilbearing first
- spikes in fertility rates can be a result of a lack of access to contraceptives and a lack of sex education

impact on family:
directly causes smaller family sizes and beanpole familes

impact on society:
- leads to an ageing population and will put pressure on the healthcare system
- lower fertility rates = a shrinking workforce

Question 3

death rate

Answer 3

general trend:
decreasing, the mortality rate of infants is decreasing so the average age of death is much higher

reasons:
- infectious diseases used to be the major cause of death
- now its is non-communicable diseases (cancer and cardiovascular disease)

impact on family:
death rates cause grief, emotional distress, finacial stress and can impact child development

impact on society:
many children may be put into care as parents with deceased partners may not be able to cope and properly care for their children with their partner

Question 4

ageing population

Answer 4

general trend:
increasing, there is a larger proportion of older people than younger people

reasons:
- longer lifespans
higher accessibilty to medication and healthcare
- declining birth rates

impact on family:
ageing population leads to more of a beanpole family type

imapct on society:
- workplaces with more elderly will have to take more shifts as there are older people
- more strains on healthcare and pensions

Question 5

migration

Answer 5

• feminisation of migration = analyses the challenges faced by women migrants

general trend:
increasing

reasons:
- higher wages
- better education, living conditions, healthcare
- freedom
- attractive climate
- family
- increase in globalisation

impact on family:
- increased diversity in family structures
- decreases restriction due to gender roles

impact on society:
- increased labour market
- cultural diverity
- social cohesion, by decreasing social inequalities

Question 6

globalisation

Answer 6

general trend:
rapidly increasing, the world is becoming more interlinked

reasons:
- technological advancements
(improved transport and communication)
- cultural and political shifts
- economic liberalisation

impact on society:
- leads to a global culture, where norms and values are increasingly similar across nations
- westernisation
- weakening of national borders