4.3 - Demographic Trends and Family

• What are the 4 factors that affect the rate of population?

  1 - Birth Rate

  2 - Death Rate

  3 - Fertility Rate

  4- Migration
• What were the changes in birth rate in 1901 - 2013?

  1901 - 1,093,000 births

  2013 - 600,000 births
• Why has the birth rate declined?

  1 - Decline in infant mortality

  2 - Changes in women's attitudes

  3- Commercilisation of childhood

  4 - Secularisation

  5 - Moving towards a more nuclear family

  6 - Exposure to consumerism
• How did decline in infant mortality affect the birth rate?

  • The improvements in the NHS meant the survival rates were higher
  • clean sanitation supplies such as water
  • advances in technology
• How did changes in women's attitudes affect the birth rate?

  • There were more job opportunities for women
  • women had more control over fertility
  • introduction of contraceptive pill also helped
• How did the commercilisation of childhood affect the birth rate?

  • Childhood is very expensive
  • parents spend 28% of their wages raising one child
  • due to the expenses, people are put off having children
• How did secularisation affect the birth rate?

  • decline in religious attitudes meant people did not feel pressurized by religion to have children.
  • people could decide themselves when they wanted to have children
• How did moving towards a more nuclear family affect the birth rate?

  • since people moved from an extended family to a nuclear family, there was less influential pressure from extended kin to have children
  • more opportunities for women so were more career-orientated
• What is the general fertility rate?

  • the number of children that a woman aged 15-44 have in a year
• what is the total fertility rate?

  • the TOTAL number of children born to a woman throughout her childbearing life
• Why have fertility rates declined?

  1 - Reliable birth control

  2 - Feminisation of the economy
• How does reliable birth control affect the fertility rate?

  • There is an increase in woman using contraception and having control over their fertility.
  • 1960 - the contraceptive pill was made free to use by NHS
  • 70% of women used the contraceptive pill
• How does the feminisation of the workplace affect the fertility rate?

  • women are choosing to be more career orientated since there are more job opportunities out there for them.
  • Choosing to put off children or not have any at all
• What are the effects of birth on family and family types?

  • there has been a decline in the size of nuclear family - most parents have 2 children
  • increase in the number of older mothers since women delay having children
  • growth in dual career families
• How has migration had an effect on fertility?

  • due to migration, there is a rise in fertillity.
  • Mothers from outside the UK tend to have lots of children
• What is voluntary childlessness?

  • remaining childlessness
• Who criticises voluntary childlessness?

  • Hakim argues that voluntary childlessness has now become a lifestyle choice due to the introduction of contraception.
  • However, those in favour of pro life still have power and influence
• Who said there were pull and push factors for voluntary childlessness?

  • Gillesepie
• What are the pull factors towards voluntary childlessness?

  • pulling people towards being childless
  • a more disposable income
  • a stronger relationship with partner
• What are the push factors for voluntary childlessness?

  • pushing people away from having children
  • expenses - expensive to raise a child
  • will have to prioritise child over career
• What is the death rate?

  • the number of death per thousand per year
• What are the factors affecting the death rate?

  
  

  • Rise in wages
  • provision of social housing
  • maternity care services
  • introduction of welfare state
  • public health
  • creation of NHS
• How does the rise in wages affect the death rate?

  • an increase in wages means people can afford basic necessities and medicine to keep them healthy
• How does public health affect the death rate?

  • the introduction of public health acts meant that people started to take care of their health since it was legal
• How does maternity care services affect the death rate?

  • since maternity care services are given to all, your baby is more likely to be healthy and survive
• How does the provision of social housing affect the death rate?

  • people moved away from slums which were dirty and caused illnesses.
• How does the welfare state affect death rate?

  • benefits given to the poor means they can afford certain necessities needed to survive
• How does the creation of the NHS affect the death rate?

  • healthcare was free for all so were given treatment and medicine to survive
• What is the ageing population?

  • increasing number of people over the age of 65
  • declining number of people over the age of 16
• Why is the UK experiencing an ageing population?

  1 - Decline in death rate

  2 - Increase in life expectancy

  3 - The decline in fertility rates
• Who is Chambers?

  • says grandparents are seen in a streotypical, useless way but argues they are useful for childcare
• What did Ross et al investigate?

  • the relationships between elderly and grandchildren.
  • mostly got on with them
  • they mediated conflict between parents and children
  • offered support for homework
  • some argues they were too old and could not keep up with trends
• What is the effect of ageing population on family types?

  1 - elderly couple households

  2 - elderly one person households

  3 - extended families

  4 - extended ties/residential proximity

  5 - beanpole families

  6 - grandparenting
• What is an elderly couple household?

  • household with two elderly people
  • most likely led by the woman since they live longer
  • the woman is often caring for her spouse
• What is an elderly one person household?

  • when one elderly lives in a house alone
  • most likely to be a woman since they marry older men
  • 'young elderly' - who are healthy
  • 'elderly elderly' - who are ill and frail
  • less likely to have family support due to geographical mobility
• What is an extended family?

  • this is where the parents or grandparents live with their children.
  • has positive effects for family - the elderly can be close to children and provide free child support
  • live with them since it is dangerous to live alone
• What is an extended tie/residential proximity?

  • this is where an elderly lives with their family or keep in close contact with them
  • feminists focus on the negative effect on the daughter - may have financial burdens or influential pressure from kin
  • interactionists argue that it causes a drift in the adult relationships and parents spend more time looking after their parents instead of their children
• What is a beanpole family?

  • A Beanpole family is a multi generational family with few aunts, uncles and grandparents. This is a result of extended life expectancy and fewer children being born.
  • may have extended influential pressure on kin
• What is grandparenting?

  • frequently visiting grandparents or them living with a family.
  • saves on childcare - about 1 billion per year
  • financial/economic burden - people may have to start paying taxes
• What is migration central to?

  • migration is central to the population growth of the UK. This is because most migrants are fertile and of childbearing age.