families + households: demography

• what is demography?

  study of populations and their characteristics
• what are the characteristics of demography?

  size

  age structure

  births

  deaths

  immigration

  emigration
• what are the factors affecting population size?

  birth rate

  death rate

  immigration

  emigration
• what are birth rates?

  no. of live births per 1000 of population born per year
• what is the change of birth rate from 1901 to 2014?

  1901 - birth rate in uk was 28.7 mil and 12.2 mil in 2014
• what is the the total fertility rate?

  average no. of children a women will have in her fertile years
• what are the trends of the total fertility rate?

  risen but lower in recent years. 1.63 children per woman in 2001 but rose to 1.83 by 2014.
• what are the reasons for the long term decline in birth rate since 1900?

  changes in the position of women

  decline in infant mortality

  children become economic liability

  child-centredness
• what is the effect of 'changes in the position of women' on birth rate?

  - women increased ed + career opps. more in paid employment.

  
  

  - women no longer in trad housewife role - changes in att regarding family life and woman's role in it

  
  

  - easier access divorce, abortion and contraception
• what is the effect of 'decline in infant mortality rate' on birth rate?

  - improved sanitation, housing, nutrition, hygiene, child's health + welfare. improved services for mothers + children

  
  

  - from 50's mass immunisation against childhood diseases

  
  

  - if IMR low child survive, parents have fewer kids
• what is the effect of 'children as an economic liability' on birth rate?

  - 19th cent - economic assets to parents as worked from early age

  
  

  -18th cent children economic liability. ban child labour, compulsory schooling

  
  

  - changing norms on what child expect from parents - cost of having child gone up
• what is the effect of 'child-centredness' on birth rate?

  - socially constructed childhood, uniquely imp in childs life

  
  

  - shift from quant to qual - parents fewer children lavish more attention + resources on few children
• what do these changes reflect?

  changes reflect fact more women remaining childless than in past, women have children later + may be less fertile + produce less children.
• what are the predictions of future trends on birth rates?

  annual no. of births should be failry constant up to 2041 at around 800,000.
• what are the effects of changes in fertility?

  the fmaily

  dependency ratio

  public services + policies

  ageing population
• what are the effects on ther fmaily due to changes in fertility?

  smaller families women more likely work, 'dual earner' fmaily. m.c. couples may have larger families + still afford childcare along them to work full time
• what is the dependency ratio?

  relationship between size of working population and on working or dependent part of the population
• what are the effects on dependency ratio due to changes in fertility?

  fertility rates falling - fewer children - childhood lonelier as fewer children have siblings + more childless adults means fewer voices for interests of children.
• what are thre short term imapcts of fewer children being born

  less schools/maternity hospitals and reduction in 'dependency burden
• what is the long term impact of fewer children being born?

  fewer working adults
• what are the effects on public services and policies due to changes in fertility?

  fewer schools, maternity + child health services may be needed. affects cost of maternity + paternity leave + types of housing need to be built
• what are the effects on the ageing population due to changes in fertility?

  average age population is rising. more old people relative to young people
• what are death rates?

  the number of deaths per 1,000 people annually.
• what are 'death rates over time'?

  1900 - 19

  2012 - 8.9
• what are gender differences in death rates over time?

  men, 1901 - 51. 2003 - 76.9

  women, 1901 - 57. 2003 - 81.2

  
  

  women life longer than men over time
• what the main reasons for the fall in death rate over time?

  improved nutrition

  medical improvements

  smoking + diet

  public health measures
• how does improved nutrition lead to a decline in death rate?

  Mckeown - improved nutrition lead to 1/2 reduction in death rates. reduce deaths from TB

  
  

  increased resistance to infection + increased survival chnaces if infected w/ TB
• how do medical improvements lead to a decline in death rate?

  after 50's medical knowledge, techniques + org reduce death rate

  
  

  antibiotics, immunisations, blood transfusion, improved maternity services + setting up of NHS

  
  

  - improved medication, bypass surgery etc - reduced deaths by 1/3 from heart disease
• how does knowledge on smoking and diet lead to a decline in death rate?

  huge reduction no. ppl smoking - fall in death rates

  
  

  21st cent obesity replace smoking as lifestyle epidemic

  
  

  obesity dramatic increase deaths low - diabetes
• how do public health measures lead to a decline in death rate?

  - 20th cent more effective central + local gov w/ power create public health laws.

  
  

  - improvement in housing, purer drinking water, pasteurisation of milk

  
  

  - clean air acts - reduce air pollution
• how do other social changes lead to a decline in death rate?

  -decline in manual ops - mining

  
  

  - smaller family sizes reduce transmission rate of infection

  
  

  - greater public knowledge about causes of illness

  
  

  - life style changes

  
  

  - income

  
  

  - living standards

  
  

  - lifestyles
• what is the ageing population?

  average of Uk pop rising . 71' - 34.1yrs. 07' - 39.6. 31' - 42.6.
• what is the structure of the UK pop?

  1) ppl 60 + over form larger part of pop than children under 16. big increase in no. over 85 - 1.9% of pop

  
  

  2) 2001 UK were 12.1 mil ppl over 60 + 4.4 mil over 75

  
  

  3) 2011 UK projected 13.9 mil over 60 + 4.6 mil 0ver 75

  
  

  4) 2021 - Uk projected 15.9 mil over 60. 31' - 18.7 mil (30%) of pop. 5.3 mil over 75

  
  

  5) 23% NI pop children under 16 compared to 20% in UK overall
• what are the effects of an aging pop?

  public services: demand health/socialcare increase w/ age - many elderly healthy but need be careful

  
  

  one pensioner households: housing shortage for fams - older adult females living alone + poverty

  
  

  dependency ratio
• what is the dependency ratio In terms of effects of ageing pop?

  no. dependent ppl increase - paid for by working pop, policies in place e.g. raising retirement age. offset reduction in younger ppl - less jobs, less money for pension.
• is ageing a problem? (yes)

  oph - loneliness

  strain on services

  increase dependency ration

  infantilisation

  poverty

  ageism

  less jobs for young

  burden on fmaily
• is ageing a problem? (no)

  grandparents help childcare

  happier, healthier retirement

  age socially constructed

  elderly experience, wise in some cultures

  many elderly active lifestyles

  products/services for elderly

  employed experience

  live longer - better relationship w/ grandchildren
• what does Hirschi argue the solution is? to the ageing pop


  financing longer old age done by paying more from savings + tax while working

  
  

  raise retirement age

  
  

  encourage elderly trade down e..g bedroom tax
• what do some sociologists argue about 'modern society and old age'?

  ageism result of 'structured dependency'. old from excluded work, economically depend on family or state. Compulsory retirement means stigmatised. marxist - Phillipson argues old no use capitalism bc no longer productive
• what do postmodernists argue about society and old age?

  fixed orderly life stages have broken down. trends like children dressing own adult styles, early retirement + later marriage blur boundaries of life stages. ppl greater choice regardless of age.