changing of death rates

  • death rates - number of death per 1000 o the population over the course of a year

  • dropped dramatically since the nineteenth century

  • life expectancy has risen significantly since 1901 - men 45 to 79 , women 49 to 83

  • this has resulted in an ageing population

sociological explanations for changes in death rates:

medicalisation ( functionalism)

  • improved medical advances have allowed generations to live for longer causing a rise in lie expectancy, causing families to often have three to four living generations at one time - functionalist would support this as having multiple generations allows for sufficient socialisation

  • evidence

  • Joseph Rowntree Foundation has reported that ‘ the number of people aged 85 and over in the UK is predicted to double in the next twenty years, and nearly treble in the next thirty years.

  • NHS are unable to cope with the demands of their care, meaning more care, meaning more care will be provided by their families this leads to family structures such as the beanpole family and the sandwich families

  • evaluation

  • life expectancy varies by social class, those from lower social classes tend to have shorter life expectancy than those from wealthier backgrounds

  • middle class tend to live 5+ years more than the working class

    commercialisation (postmodernism)

  • explanation

  • postmodernism argue that higher wages, more amenities and appliances in the home, and greatly improved housing conditions have all assisted in improving health and life expectancy.

  • evidence

  • Postmodernism Silver argues that improved technology has meant that the elderly can be assisted with living, and means they can live independently for much longer eg. wheelchairs, chair lifts - this means that they can live longer and don’t have to be a financial burden on their children or the NHS and can stay active and improve their health’s independently

  • evaluation

  • Marxist Zaretsky suggested that commercialisation has increased the financial pressure on families, causing them to become a unit of consumption

  • technology and nutritional food is expensive so having more elderly people may put more financial pressures onto the family

welfare legislation ( functionalism):

  • explanation

  • the NHS has provided free and comprehensive healthcare and there is much better care provision for the elderly for example home help or residential care homes

  • there are now a range of welfare benefits available to help maintain standards of health in times of hardship

  • Older people in particular are better cared for, with pensions, winter fuel allowance and free bus passes - £180 per week , £9400 a year

  • evidence

  • Vincent argues due to increasing wealth of the current generation of elderly, and improved health care and medical knowledge, the elderly no longer spend their retirement dependant and unwell, instead they are taking part in a variety of leisure activities, travel and exercises

  • evaluation

  • New Rights Realist Murray would criticise the welfare state and say they are creating an underclass

  • and making people financially dependent on them making them a nanny state

  • Murray would argue that old people need to have a personal pension and support themselves by investing their youth for their future to be able to afford the living cost

emotional strain ( Marxist feminism):

  • explanation

  • Marxist feminist state that increasing numbers of multi generational families and households such as beanpole, sandwich and boomerang families are increasing the burden of work for women

  • after retirement, the responsibility for the care of the elderly falls upon their extended family

  • this reduces welfare dependency, which is beneficial to the capitalist state, yet detrimental to the family, in particular the younger families, who are more likely to take on the burden of the triple shift

  • evidence

  • Care UK reported that shouldering responsibility for both younger and older generations is putting huge emotional strains on the family life

  • a survey showed that women are four times likely to take the burden of caring for an elderly relative, as well as doing the domestic labour and emotional care of their children

  • evaluation

  • The older generation can provide emotional support to their children and grandchildren, as grandparents have become increasingly responsible for childcare in families where both parents work (dual-earner)

  • 61% of grandparents see their grandchildren at least once a week