1. Unit 3:
Social Trends

2. Demographic groups in Canada

3. Demography – is the study of human populations, this is important for various kinds of research such as marketing, health research etc.
Demographers help our society by measuring trends such as birth rates, schools needed, different types of care facilities, transportation needs and estimating these needs and many others for the future of cities and communities
Terms to know…

4. A Demographic Group: Baby Boomers
Aka: Boomers, Yuppies (young urban professionals)
A Demographic Group: Baby Boomers

5. A Demographic Group: Baby Boomers
Google definition: “The U.S. birthrate exploded after World War II. From 1945 to 1961, more than 65 million children were born in the United States. At the height of this baby boom, a child was born every seven seconds. Many factors contributed to the baby boom. First, young couples who had put off getting married during World War II and the Korean War could finally begin their families. Also, the government encouraged the growth of families by offering generous GI benefits for home purchases. Finally, popular culture celebrated pregnancy, parenthood, and large families.”
A Demographic Group: Baby Boomers

6. A Demographic Group: Generation X
Named Generation X after a 1991 Douglas Coupland book
This demographic group includes those born between 1960 and 1966 (the end of the baby boom)
These individuals grew up surrounded by materialism and high technology
This group had difficulty moving into careers that were already dominated by the older baby boomer group
A Demographic Group: Generation X

7. A Demographic Group: Generation X
Google definition: The generation born after that of the baby boomers (roughly from the early 1960s to mid 1970s), often perceived to be disaffected and directionless.
A Demographic Group: Generation X

8. A Demographic Group: Generation Y
Google definition: Millennials (also known as Generation Y, Generation Me and Echo Boomers) are the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates for when this cohort starts or ends; demographers and researchers typically use the early 1980s as starting birth years and ending birth years ranging from the mid-1990s to early 2000s.
A Demographic Group: Generation Y

9. A Demographic Group: Generation Z
Google definition: Generation Z is the demographic cohort following the Millennials. There are no precise dates for when this cohort starts or ends; demographers and researchers typically use starting birth years ranging from the mid/late 1990s to early 2000s, while there is little consensus yet regarding ending birth years.
A significant aspect of this generation is the widespread usage of the Internet from a young age. Members of Generation Z are typically thought of as being comfortable with technology, and interacting on social media websites for a significant portion of their socializing.
A Demographic Group: Generation Z

10. Questions:
Based on the previous slides and our class discussions, answer the following questions…
List five reasons demography is useful in our society /5
If you were looking to market a product to a certain demographic group, which demographic group would you choose to focus on and why? /4
What demographic group would you like to belong to? (if you could choose) Consider the time periods and your personal interests and explain your choices and/or reasoning /6

11. WWII and the baby boom Between 1939 and 1945 WWII took place
Young men either put their lives on hold during this time and waited until after to marry or they got married while overseas
1/5 Canadian soldiers overseas returned after the war with a European war bride and in many cases with children who were born abroad
Almost 50, 000 women and children followed servicemen back to Canada between
WWII and the baby boom

12. War veterans were given first priority for government jobs
War veterans were also given low-cost home mortgages and loans to up-grade their education
Marriage rates post war in 1946 were almost double those of the pre war era
WWII and the baby boom

13. Why was marriage so common and popular?
Norms, expectations, suspicions, sex,

14. Between 1945-1960, more than 2 million people came to start a new life in Canada
The majority were under the age of 35 looking for work
Creating a family was the major focus on the largest demographic group in society
Immigration

15. Why were marriage rates high after WWII? How did this affect demography?
Explain how both immigration and societal values accelerated the baby boom.
Marriages from the 1940s to 1950s lasted for a long time. Why were these marriages longer lasting and more secure than those both before and after this time period?
Discussion questions

16. Nurturing the Baby Boom
Bringing up the Baby Boomers

17. Great changes in Canada after WWII affected how children were raised:
Canada had become a vitally important source of natural resources and manufactured goods during the war which had created an economic boom which continued after the war was over
More homes had to be built to support families, and Canadians saw the development of suburban areas or “Suburbia”
Changes

18. Entire neighbourhoods were constructed quickly using a few floor plans for five or six room single family bungalows and 1.5 story houses with a driveway
Curved streets to slow down traffic
Land set aside for parks and schools
Soon this led to the development of the fast food places, shopping plazas, and the now almost obsolete drive-in movie theatres
What places are like this?
Changes

19. What else is characteristic of this time?

20. Not everyone appreciated the cookie-cutter culture of the 1950s and early 1960s…
American social activist Malvina Reynolds summarizes the distaste some had for suburban life. Her song describes the sameness of people who lives in these little boxes… (1962)
Different views

21. Populations at the time
Two age groups dominated the post-war suburbia:
Children under 15
In the 1961 census, nearly half of the population of some suburbs were under 15
Young adults age 25-44
Populations at the time

22. Populations at the time
These changes in population led to more schools being built and later more universities…
Trent, York and Brock for example as well as a province wide system of community colleges
Not all areas could afford to build bigger schools…
Split school day
Authoritarian education, focused on the 3R
Populations at the time

23. 1960s
Counterculture

24. By the mid to late 1960s, the front wave of this demographic group had reached their late-teenage years and had become not only very visible, but also highly vocal.
Attitude
Lack of rules
Many songs expressed this common attitude, such as My Generation (1965)
Counterculture

25. People often think of hippies, drugs, the Beatles, Vietnam, “sit-in” demonstrations, peace symbols and other pictures of this interesting era between 1964 and 1972.
Half of the people in Canada were not yet legally adults and they were strongly influenced by the TV and music industries
Counterculture

26. Baby Boom Fashion and Fun
Handout… Complete and hand in 

27. Assignment:
Select one historical topic or event that has cause controversy in the past 60 years…
Complete the assignment due Monday at the beginning of class