Births

• What is demography?

  The study of populations and their characteristics
• What are the two main factors affecting population size?

  Births and immigration increase population size; deaths and emigration decrease it
• What was the population of the UK in 1801?

  10.5 million
• What was the population of the UK in 2014?

  65 million
• What was the primary cause of population growth in the UK until 1980?

  Natural changes, specifically more births than deaths
• What has been the main cause of population growth in the UK since 1980?

  Net migration, with more immigration than emigration
• What is the infant mortality rate (IMR)?

  The number of deaths among babies under one per 1000 live births per year

  
• How has the IMR changed from 1900 to 2012?

  It decreased from 154 per 1000 to 4 per 1000
• What are some reasons for the decline in the infant mortality rate?

  Improved housing, better sanitation, better diet, and medical interventions
• What is the cost of raising a child until age 21?

  £227,000
• Why have children become an economic liability?

  Legal and social changes have made children financially dependent on parents for longer
• How has child-centeredness affected family size?

  Parents have fewer children to invest more in the children they do have
• What risks are associated with marriage and cohabitation regarding children?

  Children add to risks, creating strain on relationships
• How have changing attitudes and individualization affected birth rates?

  Adults feel freer to choose not to have children, impacting conception rates
• What has contributed to the increase in birth rates since 2001?

  Partly due to immigration, with mothers born outside the UK having higher fertility rates
• What are the two measures of births that shape family size?

  • Birth rate: number of live births per 1000 of the population per year
  • Fertility rate: average number of children women have during their fertile years
• What was the birth rate in the UK in 1900?

  28.7 per 1000 of the population
• What was the birth rate in the UK in 2014?

  12.2 per 1000 of the population
• What are the exceptions to the decline in birth rates?

  Baby booms occurred after the two world wars and in the 1960s
• What determines the birth rate?

  The proportion of women of childbearing age and their fertility
• What is the total fertility rate (TFR)?

  The average number of children women have during their fertile years (15-44)
• What was the TFR in 1964?

  1. 95
• What was the TFR in 2014?


  1. 83
• Why has the TFR fallen?

  Widespread availability of contraception and women choosing to remain childless or postpone having children
• What are some reasons women are having children later?

  Trend towards smaller family sizes, establishing careers, and rising age of first marriage
• How do divorce and reconstituted families affect family size?

  • Divorce creates smaller family units
  • Reconstituted families can increase family size
  • Geographical and social mobility creates smaller nuclear families
• What are the effects of changes in birth rates and fertility on families and society?

  1. Smaller families allow women greater freedom to work and establish careers.
  2. Dependency ratio changes with fewer children reducing the burden on the working population.
  3. Public services and policies adapt to lower birth rates, affecting schools and maternity services.
• What changes in the position of women have affected birth rates?

  Women value independence, establish careers, and have access to contraception
• What laws have contributed to women's independence and career opportunities?

  Sex discrimination laws and improved educational opportunities
• How does education impact fertility and birth rates according to Harper (2012)?

  Educated women are more likely to use contraception and delay or forgo having children
• What happens to social norms when a pattern of low fertility lasts for more than a generation?

  Small families become the norm, and large families are seen as deviant
• What are the reasons for the increase in children born outside of marriage?

  • Increase in cohabitation
  • Less stigma surrounding births outside of marriage
  • Secularisation leading to less influence from religion
• What percentage of children are born outside of marriage?

  47%
• How has cohabitation affected births outside of marriage?

  Most births outside of marriage are jointly registered by cohabiting parents
• How has the perception of marriage changed among younger adults regarding parenthood?

  Only 28% of 25-34 year olds think marriage should come before parenthood
• How has secularisation influenced attitudes towards marriage and parenthood?

  People are less influenced by religion and more likely to have sex outside of marriage