“Examine the reasons for changes in
birth rates and family size since 1900”
Since
the 1900’s, birth rates have decreased from 115 per 1000 per year, to 54.5 per
100 per year in 2001. Family sizes have also been said to have decreased due to
industrialisation and the increasing popularity of Geographical Mobility, but
due to recent increases in immigration, extended families have had somewhat of
a reoccurrence in recent decades.
Parsons
is an example of a sociologist who would hold the belief that industrialisation
is the main cause for the decrease in birth rates, and thus family size.
Parsons found the lifestyle of those living in the pre-industrial era (which
would be mostly extended families that all work together to earn money for the
family) very much ideal for its era. This way of life was then replaced in the
late 18th century, however, by the industrial era. This era had
different needs from pre-industrial society, and the family types had to change
and adapt to meet these needs. According to Parsons, there are two essential
needs for society to be able to cope in the industrial stage. The first of
these needs is that a geographically mobile workforce is required. This is the
action of moving to where work is, as oppose to staying in the same
village/town/city, which would be the norm during the pre-industrial style of life.
The second of the two needs is that a socially mobile workforce is required.
This is the belief that in modern society, an individual’s status is achieved
by their own efforts and ability, and is not ascribed. However, the nuclear
family that is connected with industrialisation so much is actually decreasing,
and other forms of family have been becoming more popular, such as the beanpole
family, the single parent family, and singletons. The increase in these sorts
of families, particularly single parent families , have been argued by sociologist
Renvoize to be due to women being able to provide for their children without
the assistance of a man.
The
rise in feminism had a large impact on the decrease in birth rates and family
size, for example, women are able to have financial independence, so they do
not require a husband to help them through life. This has led to an increase in
women prioritising their careers, and having children later in life. This alone
changes the family structure immensely, for as women are having children later,
it is likely that they will have fewer children than they would have had if
they decided to focus less on having a career, lowering the fertility rate. A
reason why women might decide to have children later or not even have children
at all is due to the belief that nowadays, children are more economic
liabilities than helpful.
This
belief is linked towards more financial/scientific reasons for why there has
been a decrease in birth rates and family sizes since 1900. Health care since
1900 has improved so much that the infant mortality rate has lowered greatly,
because children that get diseases in modern society can be cured of a lot of
them, unlike in the 1900’s. If a child died in the early 20th
century, then it would be common to replace the deceased child with a new
child, which may also be at risk of suffering the same fate. However, due to the decrease in deaths of
infants, people are becoming content with having fewer children. The government
have also had an impact on health care in Britain, with acts like the smoking
ban and the clean air act put into place. Another reason that there is a
decline in birth rates is due to the advances in medical knowledge.
Contraception and safe abortion are now easier to obtain by a great extent in
comparison to in the early 1900s. There is also a lot less stigma attached to
women having an abortion if they so wish. The stigma attached to lesbian and gay couples
has decreased also, so people are no longer having to hide their sexuality by
being in a relationship with someone of the opposite gender. This decreases the
birth rates, because gay people actually went as far as having children to
avoid any suspicion of being homosexual.
To
conclude, the decrease in birth rates could be argued to be mainly due to a
rise in feminism, due to the changing attitudes of women in modern society, as oppose
to in 1900 when women didn’t have nearly as much influence or position in
society, specifically governments. The decrease in family size could be argued
to be mainly due to the change from pre-industrialisation to industrialisation,
and the overall increase in geographical mobility. These are the main reasons that
have been argued, because they have all had a huge impact on how society works
in modern times.
