Topic 4 - Demography Flashcards
(23 cards)
1
Q
what is a birth rate ?
A
- It means the number of live births per 1,000 people per year.
- In 1900: Birth rate was 28.7.
- By 2014: It had dropped to 12.2.
2
Q
when were the baby booms ?
A
- After World War I (1918) – Soldiers returned and started families.
- After World War II (1945) – Same reason.
- 1960s – A large rise in births unrelated to war.
3
Q
what is the total fertility rate ?
A
- It’s the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime
4
Q
why is the fertility rate lower now ?
A
- More women are staying childless
- Women are having children later:
5
Q
What are the 4 reasons for decline in birth and fertility rate ?
A
- Changes in women’s positions, Better education – girls now outperform boys in school. More women working, with laws ensuring equal pay and banning sex discrimination. Harper argues education is the most important reason for declining birth/fertility rates. Educated women. Prioritize careers or personal goals over motherhood. Delay having children or stay childless.
- Decline in Infant Mortality rate, which is the number of babies who die before age 1, per 1,000 live births, per year. Reasons it fell were Better housing & sanitation (clean water, flush toilets). From the 1950s onwards: medical advances like: Mass immunisations, Antibiotics, Improved childbirth care.
- Children now a economic liability, Children were economic assets – they worked and brought in money from an early age. However now they are an economic liability (a financial burden) this is because their are laws banning child labor and making school compulsory
- Child centredness, Modern society and families:
Have become increasingly child-centred. Children are seen as special and childhood as a precious stage of life. There has been a shift in focus from quantity to quality , thus parents choose to have fewer children, so they can invest more in each one emotionally and financially `
6
Q
what is the dependency ratio ?
A
- Ratio of dependent population (e.g. children, elderly) to the working population.
- Short-term: Fewer children = reduced burden on workers.
- Long-term: Fewer babies now = fewer workers later = increased burden again in the future.
7
Q
what is downside to fewer children ?
A
- Childhood could become more lonely (fewer siblings)
- Fewer people advocating for children’s needs.
- BUT: Could mean children are more valued and prioritise.
8
Q
what are the reasons in the decline of the death rate?
A
- Fall in Infectious Diseases, From 1850–1970, infectious disease deaths (TB, measles, smallpox, etc.) dropped sharply. These diseases mainly affected infants, children, and young adults. Replaced by “diseases of affluence” like heart disease and cancer, affecting older people.
- Improved Nutrition, Better nutrition responsible for up to half the reduction in deaths. Improved resistance to infection and better survival rates.
- Medical Improvements, after the 1950s medicine has improved such as the creation of antibiotics, immunisation and the NHS
- Lifestyle Factors: Smoking and Diet, Fall in death rate mostly due to less smoking, not medical care
- Public Health Improvements, such as food safety laws and clean air acts
9
Q
what is the change in life expectancy in male and female?
A
- 1900, Male LE was 50 while female was 57
- in 2013, male was 90.7 where as females was 90
10
Q
what is the ageing population caused by ?
A
- Increased Life Expectancy – People live longer.
- Declining Infant Mortality – More people survive early life.
- Declining Fertility Rates – Fewer young people being born.
11
Q
what is consequences of ageing population ?
A
- Public Services as older people use more health and social care, especially the ‘old old’ (75+). Potential reforms in housing, transport, and other services
- One-Person Pensioner Households, most are female, due to longer female life expectancy and younger age at marriage. And this leads to ‘feminisation of later life’ – women dominate the older population.
- Dependency Ratio, The ageing population increases the economic burden on the working-age population.
12
Q
what is a consequence of ageing population in modern society ?
A
- Leads to the growth of Ageism, which is discrimination based on age in places such as in jobs and healthcare
- The old are excluded from paid work, making them dependent and stigmatized.
- According to Marxist, Phillipson Capitalism sees the elderly as useless since they no longer contribute to production.
- The state cuts support, pushing care responsibilities onto families (often women).
13
Q
what is the post modernist view on todays society ?
A
- Boundaries between life stages are breaking down
- Children dress like adults, early retirement,
- Identity is now based on consumption, not production.
- Hunt (2005): Age no longer defines us – we can choose our lifestyle and identity.
- For example Elderly people become a market for anti-ageing products, cosmetic surgery, gyms, etc., and can ‘write identities’ on their bodies.
14
Q
what inequalities are there amongst the old ?
A
- Pilcher argues that structural inequalities of class and gender still shape experiences of ageing.
- Class Inequality
Middle-class elderly: Better occupational pensions. More savings due to higher lifetime earnings. - Working-class elderly: Shorter life expectancy. More likely to suffer ill health/infirmity, making it harder to maintain a “youthful identity.”
- Also gender inequalities as women have lower pensions due to lower lifetime earnings due to the career breaks for the caring roles
15
Q
what do housing policies encourage ?
A
- Encourage older people to downsize (move to smaller homes).
- In order to free up housing for younger families.
16
Q
what does immigration do the age structure and the dependency ratio?
A
- Immigration lowers the average age of the population: Migrants are typically younger.
- More likely to be of working age, thus reducing the dependency ratio.
- Younger migrants often have children, adding to the youth population.
- Balances ageing population trends.
17
Q
what is globalisation ?
A
- refers to increasing interconnectedness across national boundaries. It results from: Growth of communication/media, Global markets and Fall of communism in Eastern Europe.
- One key consequence is increased international migration.
18
Q
what types of migrants are there ?
A
- Permanent settlers
- Temporary workers
- Spouses
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Students
- Migration is increasingly diverse in type, motivation, and legal status.
19
Q
what is super diversity ?
A
- Used by Vertovec, and is where migrants come from more varied countries.
20
Q
what are the 3 types of migrants ?
A
- Citizens, Full legal rights (e.g. voting, benefits) – now harder to acquire in the UK
- Denizens, Privileged foreign nationals (e.g. rich elites, skilled professionals).
- Helots, Most exploited – unskilled, poorly paid, often trafficked or tied to employers.
21
Q
what has globalisation done to migration ?
A
- Due to globalisation, migration is now often multi-directional (back-and-forth), not one-way or permanent.
- Migrants often: Maintain strong global ties, Develop “neither here nor there” identities
- Don’t assimilate fully into host countries
22
Q
what are the state policy approaches to migration ?
A
- Assimilationism
Aim: Migrants should adopt the host country’s culture, language, values.
Problem: Hybrid or transnational identities don’t fit this model - Multiculturalism, Accepts that migrants can retain separate cultural identities. But in practice, often only supports “shallow diversity”.
23
Q
how is the working class divided?
A
- Assimilationist thinking can lead workers to blame migrants for unemployment and housing shortages.
- Scapegoating migrants helps:
- Divide the working class racially
- Prevent unity and collective action
- Maintain capitalist control
