Births

birth rates

sociologists use the concept of birth rates to measure births.

defined as the number of live births per thousand of the population per yer

whats the trend with births

there has been a long-term decline in the number of births.

why have there been fluctuations in births

three ‘baby booms’ since the 20th century

• the first two were after world war 2 when service men returned

• third was in 1960s but they then fell sharply in the 70th

what are the factors determinating birth rate

• number of women of childbearing age

• fertility rate- how fertile they are

what are total fertility rates

the average number of children women will have during their fertile years (15-44)

whats the trend with total fertility rates

they fluctuate from year to year but are generally on the decline. they reached a high during the baby boom if 1960 but has remained consistently low since the 70s.

what do the changes in fertility and birth rates reflect

• more women are remaining childless than in the past

• women are postponing having children: average age to give birth has increased to around 30 and fertility rates for women in their 40s has increased

what changes in women’s position has meant there has been a decline in birth rates

• legal equality with men, including the right to vote

• increased educational opportunities- girls now do better at school than boys

• more women in paid employment

• change in attitudes to family life and women’s role

• easier access to divorce

• access to abortion and reliable contraception, giving women control over their family

what does Harper say in relation to the education of women

its the most important reason for the long-term fall in birth and fertility rates. has led to a change in mind-set among women, resulting in fewer children

more educated women see other possibilities in life apart from their traditional roles of housewives

many are choosing to delay childbearing, or not have children at all, in order to pursue a career

what does Harper say in relation to the fall in fertility rates

once patterns of low fertility lasts for more than one generation, cultural norms about about family size change. smaller families become the norm and large ones come to be seen as deviant or less acceptable

whats infant mortality rate

the measure of the number of infants who die before their first birthday, per thousand babies born alive, per year

what does Harper argue in relation to IMR and birth rates

a fall in the IMR leads to a fall in the birth rate. this is because if many infants die, parents have more children to replace those they have lost , thereby increasing the birth rate

why has the IMR began to fall

• improved housing and better sanitation like clean drinking water- infants are more vulnerable to infections due to a less developed immune system

• better nutrition

• better knowledge of hygiene, childs health and welfare, often spread by women’s magazines

• improved service for mothers and children like antenatal and postnatal clinics

how have medical factors played a greater role in IMR since the 1950s

mass immunisation against childhood diseases such as whooping cough and measles.

the use if antibiotics to fight infection

improved midwifery

what do Brass and Kabir argue about the trend of IMR

many sociologists claim that the falling IMR, led to a fall in birth rates, Brass and Kabir argue that the trend to smaller families began not in rural areas, where the IMR first began to fall, but in urban areas, where the IMR remained higher for longer

how have children changed from an economic asset to an economic liability

children used to be an economic asset to their parents because they could be sent out to work from an early age to earn an income. however, since the late 19th century children have gradually become an economic liability

how have children become an economic liability

• laws

• changing norms

what laws have meant children are becoming an economic liability

laws banning child labour, introducing compulsory schooling and raising the school leaving age mean children remain economically dependant on their parents for longer and longer

what changing norms have meant children are becoming an economic liability

changing norms about what children have the right to expect from their parents in material terms means the cost of children has risen

how changes in laws and norms affect the size of the family

die to the financial pressures, parents feel less able or willing than in the past to have a larger family

what is child centerdness

shift from quantity to quality

how has child centerdness changed the size of the family

parents now have fewer children and lavish more attention and resources on these few

why are birth rates expected to increase

immigration because, on average mothers from outside the UK have higher fertility rates than those born in the UK

how does having a smaller family effect women (AO3 point as well)

it allows them more time to go out and work, thus creating duel earner couples typical of many professional families

however, better off couples may be able to have larger families and still afford childcare that allows them both to work full time

whats the dependency ration

the relationship between the size of the working or productive part of the population and the size of the non-working or dependant part of the population

what supports the dependant population

earnings, savings and taxes of the working population

who makes up most of the dependant population

children make up a large part of the dependant population- so a fall in the number of children reduces the ‘burden of dependency’ on the working population

whats an AO3 point to the dependency ratio

in the longer term, fewer babies being born will mean fewer young adults and a smaller working population and so the burden of dependency may begin to increase again

what is vanishing children

falling fertility rates mean fewer children. ad a result, childhood may become a lonelier experience as fewer children will have siblings and more childless adults may mean fewer voices speaking up in support of childrens interest

whats an AO3 point to vanishing children

fewer children could mean they become more valued

how does a lower birth rate affect public services

a lower birth rate has consequences for public services

e.g. fewer schools and maternity and child health services may be needed

how does lower birth rate affect maternity and paternity leave

it affects the cost of maternity and paternity leave

also the types of houses that need to be built

what do liberal feminists say in relation to the decline of fertility rates

they support the decline in fertility rates because it has allowed greater freedoms for women over their lives to pursue what they wish

what do the new right say in relation to the declining birth rate

the new right argue that declining birth rate has a negative impact on society due to the demise of the traditional nuclear family

what does a fall in IMR mean for the family

smaller families because infants are more likely to live because there are less ‘insurance babies’- when in the old days there were more children in case one died