Demography

Question 1

Identify the four factors that affect the size of a country’s population.

Answer 1

• Births
• Deaths
• Immigration
• Emigration

Question 2

Define natural change.

Answer 2

The difference between the number of live births and deaths per year.

Question 3

Define net migration.

Answer 3

The differences between the number of immigrants and the number of emigrants, and is expressed as a net increased or net decrease due to migration.

Question 4

Define birth rate.

Answer 4

The number of live births per thousand of the population per year.

Question 5

Define total fertility rate.

Answer 5

The average number of children women will have during their fertile years.

Question 6

Identify two reasons for changes in the fertility and birth rates.

Answer 6

• Women are postponing having children: average age for giving birth now is 30, and fertility rates for older women in their 30s and 40s are increasing.
• Older women may be less fertile and have fewer fertile years remaining, and so they produce fewer children.

Question 7

Summarise the following reason for the decline in birth rate:
- Changes in the position of women.

Answer 7

Harper: Better education for women, who prioritise their career over starting a family.
- For example, in 2012, 1/5 of women aged 45 were childless which is double the amount of 25 years earlier.

Question 8

Summarise the following reason for the decline in birth rate:
- Decline in the infant mortality rate.

Answer 8

• Due to better knowledge of healthcare, more developed medical treatments that stopped whooping cough etc, better nutrition.
• This lead to an IMR of 4 by 2012, compared to 1900 which had an IMR of 154.

Question 9

Summarise the following reason for the decline in birth rate:
- Children are now an economic liability.

Answer 9

• Laws banning child labour and intro of compulsory schooling meant that children were no longer an economic asset.
• This means parents have less children so they can afford them.

Question 10

Summarise the following reason for the decline in birth rate:
- Child centredness.

Answer 10

• As the ‘child identity’ has been socially constructed, parents see ‘quality over quantity’ so they can pay them all special attention.

Question 11

What is the reason for the slight increase in births since 2001?

Answer 11

The increase of immigration because, on average, mothers from outside the UK have a higher fertility rate than those born in the UK.

Question 12

What is the effect of fewer babies being born on the family?

Answer 12

• Smaller families means that women are more likely to be free to go out to work.
• However, better off couples may be able to have larger families and still afford childcare that allows them both to work full time.

Question 13

What is the effect of fewer babies being born on the dependency ratio?

Answer 13

• Reduces ‘burden of dependency’ on working population.
• Fewer young adults and smaller working population may increase burden of dependency.
• Childhood may become a lonelier experience.
• Fewer children could lead to them becoming more valued.

Question 14

What is the effect of fewer babies being born on public services and policies?

Answer 14

• Fewer services (e.g schools) may be needed.
• Affects cost of maternity and paternity leave and types of housing built.
• An ageing population: more old people relative to young people.

Question 15

Define death rate.

Answer 15

The number of deaths per thousand of the population per year.

Question 16

According to Tranter, what was the main reason for the decline in the death rate from 1850 to 1970.

Answer 16

Infectious diseases such as: measles, smallpox, TB etc.

Question 17

By the 1950s, what kind of diseases had become the main cause of death?

Answer 17

• Heart disease and cancer.

- Mainly affected middled aged and old people than the young.

Question 18

Summarise each of the following social factors that had an impact on death rates:

• Improved nutrition.
• Medical improvements.

Answer 18

Improved nutrition:

• McKeown: It accounted for half the reduction in death rate.
• Due to TB because it increased resistance to infection.

Medical improvements (After 1950’s):

• Intro of antibiotics
• NHS (1948)
• Immunisation

Question 19

Summarise the following social factor that had an impact on death rates:
- Smoking and diet.

Answer 19

Smoking and diet:

• Harper: Smoking reduction
• However, obesity replaced it as in 2012 1/4 of adults were obese.
• Deaths from obesity have been kept low due to drug therapy.

Question 20

Summarise each of the following social factors that had an impact on death rates:

• Public health measures.
• Other social changes.

Answer 20

Public health measures:

• Improvements in housing
• Clean Air Act reduced air pollution.

Other social changes:

• Decline of dangerous manual labour such as mining.
• Greater public knowledge of the cause of illnesses.

Question 21

Define life expectancy.

Answer 21

How long on average a person in a given year can expect to live.

Question 22

What is the difference in life expectancy for a baby boy born in 1900 as compared with a baby born in 2013?

Answer 22

• Males born in England in 1900 could expect on average to live until they were 50 (57 for females).
• Males born in England in 2013 can expect to live for 90.7 years (94 for females).

Question 23

Give one reason why average life expectancy was low in 1900.

Answer 23

So many infants and children didn’t survive beyond the early years of life.

For example, a newborn baby today has a better chance of reaching it 65th birthday than a baby born in 1900 has of reaching its 1st birthday.

Question 24

What is the projected number of centenarians in 2100?

Answer 24

1 million.

Question 25

Identify three factors that have caused the ageing population.

Answer 25

- Increasing life expectancy: people are living longer into old age. - Declining infant mortality: nowadays hardly anyone dies early in life. - Declining fertility: fewer young people are being born in relation to the number of older people in the population.

Question 26

Summarise the effects of an ageing population on public services.

Answer 26

- Older people consume a larger proportion of services such as health and social care than any other age group, Mainly old (75+). - Changes to policies and provision of housing, transport or other services.

Question 27

Summarise the effects of an ageing population on one-person pensioner households.

Answer 27

- The number of pensioners living alone has increased. | - Account for about 12.5% of all households.

Question 28

Summarise the effects of an ageing population on the dependency ratio.

Answer 28

- Economically dependent group (through taxes - pensions and healthcare) - As the number of retired people rises, the dependency ration rises + burden of working population. - 2015: 3.2 people of working age for every one pensioner. - 2033: Predicted to fall to 2.8 - Age people can draw pension is rising (from 2020, people have to wait until their 66. Rising to 67 from 2026)

Question 29

Define ageism.

Answer 29

The negative stereotyping and unequal treatment of people on the basis of their age.

Question 30

In what ways might ageism be seen?

Answer 30

Ageism towards older people shows itself in many ways, such as discrimination in employment and unequal treatment in healthcare.

Question 31

Define 'structured dependency'.

Answer 31

The old are largely excluded from paid work, leaving them economically dependent on their families or the state. This dependency is structured.

Question 32

How do Marxists view old age in capitalist society?

Answer 32

- The old are no use to capitalism because they're no longer productive. - As a result, the state is unwilling to support them adequately and so the family has to care for them.

Question 33

How does age determine people's roles in modern society?

Answer 33

- Age becomes important in role allocation, creating fixed life stages and age-related identities, such as worker or pensioner. - The old are thus excluded from a role in the labour force and made dependent and powerless.

Question 34

How does the life course in postmodern society differ from that in modern society?

Answer 34

- In today's postmodern society, the fixed, orderly stages of the life course have broken down. - For example, trends such as children dressing in adult styles begins to blur the boundaries between the life stages. - This gives individuals greater choice of lifestyle, whatever their age.

Question 35

How do people use consumption to create their identities in postmodern society? What does this mean for old people's identities in postmodern society?

Answer 35

- We can now define ourselves by what we consume. We can choose a lifestyle and identity regardless of age. Our age no longer determines who we are or how we live. - As a result, old people become a market for a vast range of 'body maintenance' goods and services to create their identities. - The centrality of the media: positive aspects of old age. - The emphasis on surface features: Anti-ageing products (able to write different identities for themselves.)

Question 36

How might a person's previous occupational position affect them when they are older?

Answer 36

- M/c have better occupational pensions and greater savings from higher salaries. - Women's lower earnings and career breaks as carers means lower pensions.

Question 37

Identify two policy implications of an ageing population.

Answer 37

- Social policies: how to finance a longer period of old age. - Housing policies: Encourage older people to 'trade down'. Release wealth to improve standard of living and free up housing for younger people.

Question 38

Define immigration.

Answer 38

Movement into a society.

Question 39

Define emigration.

Answer 39

Movement out of a society.

Question 40

What part of the world do most immigrants to the UK now come from?

Answer 40

By 1980's, non-whites accounted for little more than a quarter of all immigrants, while the mainly countries of the EU became the main source of settlers in the UK.

Question 41

Define an economic 'push' factor.

Answer 41

Economic recession and unemployment at home.

Question 42

Define an economic 'pull' factor.

Answer 42

Higher wages or better opportunities abroad.

Question 43

Define globalisation.

Answer 43

Globalisation is the idea that barriers between societies are disappearing and people are becoming increasingly interconnected across national boundaries.

Question 44

What processes are giving rise to globalisation?

Answer 44

- The growth of communication systems and global media. - The creation of global markets. - The fall of communism in Eastern Europe. - Expansion of the EU.

Question 45

How does today's pattern of super-diversity differ from pre-1990s migration patterns?

Answer 45

Before the 1990's, immigration to the UK came from a narrow range of former British colonies. Most of these migrants had the right to settle and become citizens. However, since 1990's migrants now come from a much wider range of countries. Even within a single ethnic group, individuals differ in terms of their legal status; for example, as citizens or spouses.

Question 46

In what ways does the feminisation of migration reflect the gender division of labour in western societies?

Answer 46

- The expansion of service occupations (which traditionally employ women). - Western women have joined the labour force and are less willing or able to perform domestic labour. - Western men remain unwilling to perform domestic labour. - The failure of the state to provide adequate childcare.

Question 47

List some factors that make up our identity..

Answer 47

- Family - Friends - Neighbourhood - Ethnicity - Religion - Nationality etc

Question 48

Give an example of a 'hybrid identity'.

Answer 48

Young British Asians have formed a 'Brasian' identity.

Question 49

What is meant by 'hierarchical identities'? Use an example to illustrate this.

Answer 49

Eade found that second generation Bangladeshi Muslims in Britain saw themselves as Muslim first, them Bengali, then British.

Question 50

What does Eriksen mean by 'transnational identities'?

Answer 50

Migrants are less likely to see themselves as belonging completely to one culture or country. Instead they may develop transnational 'neither/nor' identities and loyalties.

Question 51

What is meant by 'assimilationism'? Why might this be a controversial policy?

Answer 51

- Assimilationism was the first state policy approach to immigration. It aimed to encourage immigrants to adopt the language, values and customs of the host culture to make them 'like us' - Transnational migrants with hybrid identities may not be willing to abandon their culture or to see themselves as belonging to just one nation-state.

Question 52

What is meant by multiculturalism?

Answer 52

- Multiculturalism accepts that migrants may wish to retain a separate cultural identity. - However, in practice, this acceptance may be limited to most superficial aspects of cultural diversity.

Question 53

What is the difference between 'shallow diversity' and 'deep diversity'?

Answer 53

- Shallow diversity, such as regarding chickin tikka masala as Britains national dish, is acceptable to the state. - Deep diversity, such as arranged marriages or the veiling of women, isn't accepted by the state.

Question 54

Why has there been a move back towards assimilation policies in recent years?

Answer 54

Since the 9/11 terrorist attack Islamist terror attack in 2001, many politicians have swung back towards demanding that migrants assimilate culturally. For example, in France, veiling of the face in public was made illegal in 2010.

Question 55

Why does Castles see assimilationist policies as counter-productive?

Answer 55

They mark out minority groups as culturally backward or 'other'.