Domography

Question 1

birth rate

Answer 1

the number of live births per year per 1000
trends: a long-term decline in birth rate
however, there were 3 ‘baby booms’ after WW1, WW2 and during the 1960s

Question 2

reasons for the decline in birth rate

Answer 2

1. changes in the position of women: increased educational opportunities, more women in paid work, change in attitude towards family life and the women’s role, wider access to abortion and contraception
2. fall in infant mortality rate: improved housing, sanitation, nutrition, knowledge of hygiene and child health, improved technology, antibiotics
3. children as an economic liability: laws banning child labour coupled with the introduction of compulsory schooling has meant children remain economically dependent for longer, changing norms about children’s right to a high standard of living raises their cost
4. child centredness: childhood is now a socially constructed and uniquely important period of life, parents focus on quality not quantity, meaning they have fewer children, but lavish more attention and resources on them

Question 3

impact of a declining birth rate

Answer 3

• the dependency ratio increases: the relationship between the size of the working population and the non-working (dependent) population
• the working population’s earnings support the dependent population through tax
• women are having fewer children because this reduces the ‘burden of dependency’
• public services: fewer schools, child health services etc.

Question 4

death rate

Answer 4

the number of deaths per 1000 per year
trends: declining, with the exception of fluctuations in WW1, WW2 and the 1918 flu epidemic

Question 5

reasons for a decline in death rate

Answer 5

• improved nutrition
• medical improvements (vaccinations, antibiotics, NHS)
• public health improvements (better housing, clean water, clean air)
• social change (decline in manual labour, greater knowledge of disease)

Question 6

reasons for an ageing population

Answer 6

• increased life expectancy
• low infant mortality rate
• declining fertility

Question 7

impact of an ageing population

Answer 7

• increased strain on public services
• more one-person households
• the rising dependency ratio
• ageism

Question 8

ageing population - Phillipson (marxist)

Answer 8

the old are of no use to capitalism because they are no longer productive and economically dependent group, adding to the dependency ratio

Question 9

ageing population - Hunt (postmodernist)

Answer 9

we can choose our identity no matter what our age is: our age no longer determines who we are. as a result, the elderly became a market for body maintenance and rejuvenation services and goods, such as cosmetic surgery, gym membership and anti-ageing products

Question 10

immigration vs emigration

Answer 10

immigration: movement into a society
emigration: movement out of a society

Question 11

reasons for migration

Answer 11

push factors: unemployment and economic recession

pull factors: higher wages and better opportunities