The population of Britain is neither growing nor declining, but it has changed recently in diverse ways and continues to do so. Marriage has ceased almost entirely to be a necessary prelude to sexual relations. Couples are postponing the birth of their first children. The number of one-parent families is increasing. The population has temporarily stopped ageing. The middle class is growing at the expense of the working class, but at different rates in different parts of the country. Large numbers of immigrants have arrived and have either dispersed through the country or concentrated in particular cities. This volume of new essays by leading social researchers investigates the origins and effects of these trends and changes, and considers their relevance to the social problems and issues of Britain now and in the 1990s. Their findings, always expressed in non-technical language, are often controversial and surprising. Despite the substantial rise in divorce, marriage remains as popular as ever, though the future of the stable family unit is more in doubt. Inspite of changes in the law and in social assumptions and attitudes, the equalisation of opportunity between men and women appears to be by no means as complete and as rapid as has been supposed. Taken together, these essays provide an unnusually clear perspective on British society at the end of the twentieth century. This book is aimed at general readers concerned with recent social change and students of social science (sociology, geography, economics), law and demography.

Table of Contents:
1. Population Matters John Hobcraft, LSE and Heather Joshi, London School of Hygiene 2. Is Britain Facing the Twilight of Parenthood? William Brass, London School of Hygiene 3. The Family: Formation and Fission Kathleen Kiernan, City University 4. Divorce: Economic Antecedents and Aftermath John Ermisch, Birkbeck College 5. Old Age: Burden or Benefit? Pat Thane, Goldsmiths College 6. Education and Changing Numbers of Young People Ian Diamond, University of Southampton 7. Housing the People. From Shortage to Surplus? Mike Murphy, LSE 8. Internal Migration and the Spatial Distribution of Population Tony Champion, University of Newcastle 9. People and Services: Central Assessment of Local Needs John Hobcraft 10. The Changing Form of Women's Economic Dependency Heather Joshi 11. Demographic Patterns Among Britain's Ethnic Groups Ian Diamond and Sue Clarke, Macquarie University, Sydney.