How have changing patterns of fertility affected families and

households?

Questions

• What are the current trends of fertility in the uk and why have these changes occurred?

• What consequences do these changes have for families and society?

( Advantages and Disadvantages)• What opinions do the perspectives have on this

issue ( Functionalists, Marxists, Feminists and New right?)

• What variations are there in terms of class and ethnicity?

Information

• Fertility is the ratio of live births in an area to the population of that area; expressed per 1000 population per year.

• Countries with historically high levels of fertility are dealing with unprecedented numbers of children moving into adolescence.

• In 1971 The average age of women at childbirth in England and Wales was 26.2 , in 2006 it was 29.5

• There is many different opinions on the fall in fertility feminists would say it is good because they have more choice in there life's, Marxists would say it is good because it would be better for families as the money earned would be spread between less people, new right and functionalists would think it is bad because if there is less children they will be lower intelligence rate in the UK

Extension Question

• What variations do you think there are in terms of class and ethnicity?