Family and Households - Demography Flashcards
(54 cards)
What causes an increase in population size?
Births and Immigration
What causes a decrease in population size?
Deaths and emigration
What is happening to the birth rate in the UK from the research done by the ONS?
- Birth rates are decreasing
- The average age of mothers is increasing
- Increasing number of children being born out of wedlock
- Infant mortality rate is decreasing
What are the reasons for a decline in birth rates?
- Changes in women’s positions in society
- Decline in infant mortality rate
- Changes in children’s childhood
How have changes in women’s positions in society affected birth rates?
- Women are more likely to choose a career before starting a family
- Contraception letting women have control over when they get pregnant, meaning they see more of a life for them than just being housewives
What does Harper (2012) say about changes in women’s positions in society
- Education of women is the most important reason for the fall in birth and fertility rates
- It led to a change in mindset among women
- Women see other possibilities in life than being a mother
- Almost 1/5 of 45 yr old women were childness
- This pattern of low fertility rates lasts longer than one generation as cultural norms change
What does lower infant mortality rates cause?
Lower birth rates as parents don’t have to try again for another child as often
What are the changes in childhood?
- How much it costs to have a child
- Changes in law
- Social attitudes
How are children now an economic liability?
The law prevents children from working, making them financially dependent on adults
How have family structures changed and what has this effected?
Family sizes are getting smaller, making it easier for women to seek employment
What is the dependency ratio?
How different demographics in a population are dependent on other for essential needs
The dependency ration in relation to low birth rates
- If the population shrinks, less people will be paying taxes, meaning less money for public services
- Increasing amount of elderly people puts pressure on public services
English men’s life expectancy in 1900 vs 2013
50 vs 80.7
What does Thomas McKeown (1972) say about nutrition?
- Argues improved nutrition accounted for up to 1/2 the reduction in death rates and was important in reducing the number of deaths from TB
- Better nutrition means an increased resistance to infection
What is a criticism of Thomas McKeown (1972)?
- He doesn’t explain why men live longer than women even though they receive a smaller share of food
- Fails to explain why deaths caused by measles and infant diarrhoea rose at the time
How have medical improvements helped the decline in death rates?
- NHS set up in 1948
- After the 1950s, improved medical techniques and organisation helped to reduce death rates
- Introduction of antibiotics, immunisation, blood transfusions, improved maternity services
Why is age a good example of social constructionism?
Different societies have different interpretations of age
Why is the population getting older?
- Increasing life expectancy
- Declining infant mortality
- Declining birth rates
How does an aging population affect public services?
- Older people consumer a larger proportion of services, such as health and social care, particularly those over 75
- Requires increased expenditure on healthcare and changes to policies
How does an aging population affect housing?
- The number of pensioners living alone has increased
- One-person pensioner households account for 15% of all households
- Most are female as they generally live longer (among the over 75s, there are 2x more women than men)
How does an aging population affect the dependency ratio?
- The non-working old are economically dependent
- Increases the burden on the working population
- The age you can draw from your pension will increase
What is structured dependency?
- Seen as how society treats the elderly
- When an individual reaches a certain age they are removed from the labour force and become dependent on others
How do Marxists say society views elderly people?
They are seen as useless as they have no way of producing good or wealth for society
How much is the state pension?
£221.20