Demography

• What is Demography?


  The study of characteristics of human populations
• CAGE


  Class

  Age

  Gender

  Ethnicity
• Why do Sociologists care about Demography?

  - Investigate issues within social groups

  - Suggest policies to improve above

  - Study changes in society
• How much has the UKs population increased?

  56m in 1971 to 68m in 2021
• Define Birth rate


  number of live births per 1,000 of the population per year
• Since 1940 Uk's birth rate has _________

  Decreased
• Define Total fertility rate (TFR)

  the average number of children a women will have in her fertile years (15-44)
• TFR has ______ from __ per woman to now less than __

  TFR has decreased from 3 per woman to now less than 2
• Why has Britain's birth rate decreased? (1)

  1. Changing roles of women

  - More likely to be in full time work

  - Changing attitudes on women's role in family

  - Easier and Cheaper to get divorced

  - Increasing involvement in further education

  - Abortion and contraception are less stigmatised and easily accessible
• Why has Britain's birth rate decreased? (2)

  2. Fall in infant mortality

  - Better healthcare / maternity care

  - People used to have lots of children in case some didn't make it
• Why has Britain's birth rate decreased? (3)

  3. Children as an economic liability

  - children used to be an economic asset- worked for the family

  - change in child labour laws

  - childcare= expensive

  - children are families responsibility for longer now
• Why has Britain's birth rate decreased? (4)

  4. Child centeredness

  - Because of children being an economic liability now, families are having less children

  - having fewer children but giving them a better life
• Why has Britain's birth rate decreased? (5)

  5. Changing values within couples

  - more couples are choosing to not have children as there is more pressure on them, they're a lifelong commitment, loss of freedom and independence and involves sacrifices
• Effects of a falling birth rate

  1. Smaller families mean that women are more likely to go to work and create a dual income family

  
  

  2. Changing dependency ratio- % of people of dependent ppl (not working age) / number of people of working age
• What is the formula for the dependency ratio

  
• Define death rate


  The number of deaths per 1,000 of the population per year
• Some figures as proof of decreasing death rate


  1990= 19

  2012= 8.9

  2019= 9.1
• Describe the Death rate in the UK

  Over the past 100yrs the number of deaths has roughly stayed the same at 600,000/yr. However the death rate has decreased because the population has increased so the number of deaths per 1,000 of the population has decreased
• Why has the death rate decreased?


  - Medical improvements

  - Nutrition

  - Social Changes

  - Public Health
• How has medical improvements decreased the death rate?

  - improved knowledge, techniques and organisation- more efficient

  - Antibiotics, immunisation, blood transfusions- preventing diseases spreading & getting infected

  - Improved maternity services

  - NHS (1948)
• How has Public health decreased the death rate?

  - improvement in housing (drier, better ventilated, less crowded)

  - Purer drinking water so there is no contamination and risk of catching disease

  - Improved sewage disposal

  - Clean air acts
• How has better nutrition decreased the death rate?

  Better nutrition increases resistance to infection and increased the survival chances of those who do become infected

  - this could be due to people getting the vitamins they need to build their immune system and become stronger and more able to fight off the diseases
• How has Social changes decreased the death rate?

  - Decline in dangerous occupations

  - Smaller families reduces the rate of transmission of infection

  - Greater public knowledge of diseases (know how to prevent)

  - Lifestyle changes

  - Higher incomes- healthier lifestyle
• Define life expectancy


  how long an average person born in a given year can be expected to live

  
  

  - affected by many different factors such as where you live
• What is the impact of the declining death rate?

  - as death rate has decreased, life expectancy has increased by about 2yrs per decade

  - Infant mortality has decreased drastically

  - Harper predicts that we soon will reach 'radical longevity' with many people aged over 100 (predicted 1 million centenarians- aged over 100- by 2100)
• What are the 3 causes of an ageing population?

  1. Increasing life expectancy

  2. Declining infant mortality

  3. Declining fertility
• What has the average age been over the years?

  1971= 34

  2018= 40

  2037 predicted= 42
• Impacts of an ageing population

  1. Increased dependency ratio

  2. More one person pensioner households

  3. Strain on public services
• Define Ageism


  Negative stereotyping and unequal treatment of people based on their age
• What do Postmodernists Sociologists say about an ageing population ?

  They believe people are always able to choose how they live and they see old age as a continuation of life- no fixed way to live when you're older
• What do Modernity sociologists and Marxists say about old age?

  Old people are economically dependent and excluded from society as they ae no longer the means of production

  (fixed life stage)
• Define Migration


  The movement of people away from their home countries or communities to a new country
• What are the PUSH factors for migration to Britain?

  escaping issues such as famine, war, religious persecution or unemployment
• What are some PULL factors for migration to Britain?

  - Job opportunities

  - Standards of living

  - Healthcare

  - Political reasons

  - Joining family
• Hoe has migration in the UK changed since 1900 ?


  1930-1945- hundreds of thousands fled here to escape the effects of Nazis

  
  

  1950/60s- immigrants from commonwealth- encouraged by UK Gov cuz of labour shortages

  
  

  2004-2007- Counties joining the EU meant more immigrants able to move to UK
• What are the negative impacts of migration to the UK?

  - Growing fear and distrust of immigrants which has lead to anti-immigrant political parties (e.g. UKIP)

  
  

  - Fear of immigrant integration to British culture who may have different values (weakening national identity)
• What are the positive impacts of migration to the UK?

  - Migrant workers make key contributions to the economy and take on unwanted jobs of brit workers

  
  

  - Play key roles in healthcare provision- without them the NHS would be understaffed
• Define Globalisation


  The growing interconnectedness of societies across the world through the spread of culture, consumer goods and economic interests across the globe
• How has globalisation changed migration?

  much easier to move due to improvements in travel as well as better internet and communications so you can contact people across the world
• What are the effects of Globalisation?

  - More undocumented workers (illegal immigrants)

  - More asylum seekers (are subject to appalling dehumanisation)

  - Changing families (cuz of different cultures and values)

  - Greater cultural diversity

  - More immigration from the EU