population

• Suggest reasons why TFR may decreased.

  • greater number of women in work
  • greater use of birth control
  • increased women education/emancipation
  • children seen as economic liabilities
• Explain why a high TFR may cause problems for a country:

  • Issues of a youthful population - with the resulting economic effects, e.g. unemployment, costs to the government.
  • Natural increase = above replacement level - consequences of a population exceeding resources.
  • Country may need to 'export' population via international migration - political consequences.
  • Increased costs to gov/tax payers.
  • Gov introduce policies to decrease - social and political consequences.
• Suggest two reasons for the changes in the pattern of live births by age group of mother shown in Table 1.1. (decreasing birth rates):

  • greater education of women (stay in education longer)

  • more women put careers before children so delay childbearing

  • greater use of contraceptives so can delay childbearing
• Explain why birth rates may vary with the income of the parents:

  • low income so high birth rate as children economic asset (can work and can support parents in old age), offset high infant mortality, can't afford contraception - very much LICs (reverse also true in that wealthy may have fewer)
  • high incomes so high birth rate as can afford children (they are expensive to bring up), can afford mother not to work, demonstrates wealth (status) - very much HICs (reverse also true although poor more likely to have more children)
• explain why the average age of mothers at childbearing age tends to increase as a country develops:

  • greater knowledge and use of contraception
  • greater education of women, longer time spent in education
  • women prefer own careers before childbearing
  • decline in religions that encourage early/high birth rates
  • increasing materialism, want car, house etc. before children
• Explain the issues caused by an ageing population for a country.

  
  

  • Economic e.g. taxation, spending priorities
  • Social e.g. poverty, rising pension age, length of time in ill health
  • Health care provision, demands on labour force
  • Political e.g. voting preferences, raising taxes, budgets
  • Dependent on the youthful/working population to care at nursing homes.