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48
"dependent" population rises to over 41%, a ratio of more than
4 economically inactive persons to 6 actively employed.
Family Size—Social Effects of its Alteration
Despite an overall population increase, family size has been
declining for almost a century. Countrywise, the average number
of births per family has fallen from 4.57 in 1879 to 2.38 in 1971
after a surge in the early 1900's. This provides a partial explanation
for the fact that persons per inhabited dwelling in Greenwich
since 1901 have decreased from 6.73 to 2.92.
Evident from the beginning of the present century these changes,
together with earlier marriage, shortening of time devoted to
family building and nurture of small children and longer life
expectancy, have had profound effects upon the social life of
society. They have resulted, inter alia, in the lengthening of the
later stages of married life when a couple are left alone but, conversely,
the greatly extended educational facilities now made
available has meant that the individual child remains financially
dependent for a much longer period than hitherto. In combination,
these factors have brought about an increase in the economic
activity of married women throughout the country from 34.0% in
1961 to 41.1% in 1971. Locally, of all married women in Greenwich
in 1901, 6.0% were economically active compared with the present
figure of 47.7%.
Social changes initiated by the increase in family income include
a general rise in living standards and, with both parents becoming
wage-earners, a re-distribution of family and household responsibilities.
Indeed, the traditional view of woman as the home-maker
and keeper is rapidly being transformed. With society's condonation
of the industrial and commercial employment of married
women comes mounting pressure on local authorities to establish
more childminding and nursery facilities for progressively younger
children, perhaps to the ultimate detriment of family unity. Time
devoted to the development of essential parent/child relationships
seems to be inversely proportional to the increase in affluence
with a growing tendency for parents to "buy" children's esteem
and acquiescence to the newer family patterns with all its sinister
implications.
Marriages
The Marriage Rate is calculated on a "total population" basis
and, as such, is not strictly comparable with other areas by reason
of discrepencies in age constitution. A more accurate ascertainment
would be to return a rate based upon the marriage of unmarried
persons over the age of 16 years (legal marriage is prohibited
where either party is under 16 years). As approximately