The most important indicators of the demographic well-being of the population is age. Sociology, studying it, uses various methods, including age pyramids, which allow you to see the processes of population reproduction in dynamics.
The concept of age in sociology and demography
The age of a population and an individual are important indicators for sociology and psychology. Many social roles that influence social relations are based on age status. The number of years lived since the birth of a person determines his position in society and requires the implementation of certain patterns of behavior. There are several types of age:
- absolute, also known as passport or calendar. This is a calculation of years in the amount of time lived from the date of birth;
- biological, or developmental age, the antipode of the calendar, means the degree of morphological development of the organism at a certain point in life;
- mental, determining the development of the intellect and psyche at a particular moment in life;
- social, characterized by the levelsocial achievement for the average person of a particular age.
The age category in sociology and demography allows you to answer questions about population development trends and make predictions about the movement of society in the future.
The concept of the age structure of the population
Age structures are the allocation of groups of people by the number of years. For the first time, this method of classifying the population was used in ancient China, where the first age scale was compiled, it included 6 stages: youth, age of marriage, time for performing public duties, age of knowing one's own delusions, last creative age, desired age and old age. Already according to this scheme, it is clear that the age structure is an important indicator of a person's social activity. Modern sociology distinguishes such periods as childhood, youth, maturity and old age. To solve various research problems, scientists identify other stages of human development in time. Today, scientists talk about the age structure of the population of different countries, evaluate the difference between them, build age pyramids that help to identify the dynamics of demographic processes. The term "age structure of the population" appears in the 19th century, it refers to the distribution of the population with certain age characteristics throughout the country and the planet as a whole.
Studying the age structures of the population
The study of age is the starting point in the study of many social processes. Study of this phenomenonnecessary to track the dynamics of socio-economic processes, which are based on demography. Information on the age structure of the population makes it possible to identify the causes of an increase and decrease in fertility and mortality, and to look for ways to solve the problems associated with these phenomena.
It is important to determine exactly for what purpose the age-sex pyramid is being built in order to extract the maximum of useful information from it. Knowing the structure of the population, it is possible to predict and plan the socio-economic activities of the state and business. This information will make it possible to predict what goods and services may be in demand at different time intervals, form a budget for various social benefits and build a policy for the development of human capital.
Methods for studying age structures
There are several methods that help collect information about the age parameters of a population. The simplest and most common way is monitoring, which is based on the analysis of statistical data. Survey methods are also widely used, the most famous of which is the census. Each state periodically conducts population censuses, which allow you to collect information about the age structures of the country. Most often, these data are examined together with information on sex distribution. The purpose of the age-sex pyramid is to represent the differences and similarities between the distribution of ages among the gender groups of the population. This information makes it possible to assess the consequences of socio-economic events and plan future social policies.
The concept of the age-sex pyramid
The first systematic census of the number of people in a country of the same age begins to be conducted in the 19th century. In 1895, the Scandinavian scientist A. G. Sundberg proposed creating charts that would record the population of the same age at certain points in the country. Thus began the practice of creating age pyramids. Later, the gender parameter was added, this made it possible to compare the number of men and women of the same age, to assess the dynamics and overall life expectancy.
To build an age pyramid, you need to collect quantitative information and present it in the form of a diagram. The vertical in it marks the age, and the horizontal marks the number of people. The base of the pyramid is always wider than anything else, since it is made up of newborns, then the number of people begins to decrease to the last recorded oldest person. One horizontal bar can represent the number of people per year, 5 or 10 years, depending on the information collected.
Classification of age pyramids
There are varieties of pyramids with different time intervals, the most detailed is the 1-year type, but it requires a lot of work to collect information, 5 and 10-year models are more common. International standards recommend using a 5-year interval for population estimates. It is also customary to distinguish types of age pyramids in accordance with the variant of society, so models of a growing population appeared, in this case the diagramas close as possible to the correct pyramid, of a steadily aging generation, in the form of a bell and a decreasing number of people, in the form of an urn. Another basis for classifying age pyramids is regions. So, there are models of developed and developing countries. This allows you to compare regions and identify their fundamental differences. It is also possible to build pyramids of certain population groups, for example, representatives of ethnic communities or migrants.
Growing types of pyramids
The age-sex pyramid of the population, in which the younger generation prevails over the old, is called progressive, or growing. Typically, these societies are characterized by high birth rates. Populations with similar indicators are distinguished by a large number of young people, most often in such societies there is a low life expectancy and high mortality, only a small part of the population survives to old age. Often this type of reproduction of human resources is called simple or primitive, since it does not involve social protection and the economy.
Stationary types of pyramids
Fixed population pyramid characterized by low or no population growth rates. Such a model is called stationary, since in it the number of newborns is equal to the number of young and middle-aged people, and only the number of older people decreases as they reach 65-70 years old, but not sharply, but smoothly. Such pyramids indicate problems with fertility and require intervention fromthe side of the government, since society cannot remain in this state for a long time, and the pyramid moves to the next type - aging.
Declining types of pyramids
Pyramid, in which the death rate slows down and the birth rate decreases, is called aging, or decreasing. The structure of such a society is dominated by middle-aged and elderly people, there are few newborns and young people, and over the years such countries are doomed to extinction. Such states have a clear problem with the material support of the elderly, since there are few or no young people who would contribute money to pension funds. Regressive types of society can lead to the disappearance of the population.
Analysis of age pyramids
Conducting a census and creating age charts allows you to get absolute and relative data. Thus, the analysis of the age-sex pyramid and its comparison with previous data allows us to find out the total population, its general and natural increase, the mortality rate, the growth in the number of people of different sexes, that is, a large set of statistical information. Traditionally, the analysis of age pyramids is based on three main parameters: birth rate, death rate and migration. The most important indicator is life expectancy, it allows you to judge the social well-being of the country. Pyramid analysis helps identify the most significant age groups for further research.
Pyramids of developedcountries
The main trend in the age structure of developed countries is the aging of the population. Due to the high quality of medical services and a decent standard of living, the life expectancy of the population of these countries is steadily growing, the leader here is Japan, where a fairly pronounced population of people over the age of 80 has developed. At the same time, the birth rate in developed countries is also steadily falling. Even the US age pyramid, which has always had a large number of newborns, has become stationary in recent years, and this is an alarming symptom. The United States is being saved so far by the immigration of young people who give birth to children, but in insufficient quantities. But Europe, especially northern Europe, has already crossed the line and demonstrates a regressive model of the age structure.
Pyramids of developing countries
States of the "third world" have a completely different age structure. The sex and age pyramid in such states belongs to the younger type. Especially Asian regions demonstrate high and even the highest birth rate and short life of people. Only China slightly increases life expectancy, while India, Iran, Vietnam and other countries in the region have a very low rate for this parameter. Therefore, problems such as unemployment, a shortage of highly qualified personnel, and a low standard of living appear here. But the youngest continent today is Africa, this is due to the high mortality and short life expectancy of people. The states of Africa are implementing a simple method of reproduction, compensating for the loss of population with a huge birth rate.
Russian age pyramids
The gender-age pyramid of Russia differs from similar schemes for many countries in the presence of several deep “wounds”, failures in population, these are traces of the war, as well as less noticeable losses of crisis periods. Russia today is rapidly moving from a stationary type to an aging one. The growth in the birth rate, despite the titanic efforts of the state, is meager, and life expectancy is growing slowly. This leads to the fact that in the country more than 60% of the population are people over 65 years old. Such an age structure is fraught with serious economic consequences: young people are simply not able to provide for the elderly. Sociologists say that the vast empty territories of the country will certainly attract migrants and this will solve the country's demographic problems, if there are no severe social and economic consequences of such resettlement.
Demographic problems of our time and indicators of the pyramids
Modern age pyramids demonstrate obvious demographic problems in developed countries. The aging of the population in these States will lead to socio-economic difficulties. Today, Europe is undergoing a migration test that helps solve the problem of the necessary rejuvenation of the population, but this new generation is not willing to work and support Europe's pensioners. Therefore, the dynamics of age structures may change for the better, but the cultural and social status of this population will also change. The question of what is happening with the age pyramiddeveloping countries is of great concern to sociologists today, as the growing population of Africa and Asia leads to overpopulation of the planet, which entails the inevitable depletion of resources.
