Exactly when childhood ends and adulthood begins differs among cultures and over periods of time within cultures. People in some societies believe that adulthood begins with the onset of puberty, arguing that people who are old enough to have children also are old enough to assume adult responsibilities. This stage of life is often solemnized with special celebrations. In Jewish tradition, for exa…
Historical events greatly influence the number of children born in a society, and two events during recent American history—the Great Depression and World War II—have shaped present-day demographics in the United States. During the early years of the Great Depression (1929–39), fewer babies were born because most people could not support large families. The small number of bir…
The median age (half are older and half are younger) of the American population has risen quickly. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in Census 2000 PHC-T-9. Population by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Origin for the United States: 2000, median age increased from thirty years in 1980 to 35.3 years in 2000. Within a ten-year span, from 1990 to 2000, the median age jumped from 32.9 years t…
Fertility is measured in a number of ways. One such measure, called the crude birth rate, is the number of live births per one thousand women in the population, regardless of their age. In 2001 the national birth rate was 14.1 live births per one thousand women. The birth rate for Hispanic women (of any race) was considerably higher (23) than for non-Hispanic African-American women (16.6), Asian/P…
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