Thinking Tool for Examining Demographics (Study of Changes in Population)

This page provides a template you can use and two examples. Among the applications for the template that you might find useful are:

§ What happens after the change in immigration law in 1965 and what happens with the next generation of these immigrants?

§ What happens with the consumer society?

The Template

Decade>

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000-2010

Example: Baby Boomers

Look at the chart and ask yourself:

1. When do the boomers consume goods and services, but not need a job?

2. When will there be a bubble of more students in the public schools?

3. When will they be teenagers and what do teenagers do?

4. When will they go to college and/or the age when Selective Service applies to them?

5. When will they need a job to be able to be able to support themselves—to be able to consume?

6. When will they have babies—and a mini-baby boom will start?

7. When do the boomers hit their 60s?

Decade>

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

If a baby boomer is born in 1945, how old will he or she be in each subsequent decade?

Born 1945

5 in 1950

10 in 1955

15 in 1960

20 in 1965

25 in 1970

30 in 1975

35 in 1980

40 in 1985

45 in 1990

50 in 1995

55 in 2000

60 in 2005

If a baby boomer is born in 1950, how old will he or she be in each subsequent decade?

Born 1950

5 in 1955

10 in 1960

15 in 1965

20 in 1970

25 in 1975

30 in 1980

35 in 1985

40 in 1990

45 in 1995

50 in 2000

55 in 2005

Example: People Who Had Seen the Economy Collapse with the Great Depression

Reminders: The stock market crash hits in 1929; the Great Depression lasts for the next decade.

Look at the chart:

§ The rows are for those who directly experienced how quickly and how deeply an economy can fail.
The rows are for people who are at least 1 when the crash hits and up to 25 when it hits.

§ The shading shows the decade each age group becomes 60 within the decade.

Look at the chart and then look at the economic events that occur the decades after that shading? Does that tell you anything (including the value of learning history)?

Decade>	1920	1930	1940	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000
If a child is 25 in 1929, how old will he or she be in each subsequent decade?	15 in 1929	26 in 1930	36 in 1940	46 in 1950	56 in 1960	66 in 1970	76 in 1980	86 in 1990	?
If a child is 20 in 1929, how old will he or she be in each subsequent decade?	20 in 1929	21 in 1930	31 in 1940	41 in 1950	51 in 1960	61 in 1970	71 in 1980	81 in 1990	?
If a child is 15 in 1929, how old will he or she be in each subsequent decade?	15 in 1929	16 in 1930	26 in 1940	36 in 1950	46 in 1960	56 in 1970	66 in 1980	76 in 1990	86 in 2000
If a child is 10 in 1929, how old will he or she be in each subsequent decade?	10 in 1929	11 in 1930	21 in 1940	31 in 1950	41 in 1960	51 in 1970	61 in 1980	71 in 1990	81 in 2000
If a child is 5 in 1929, how old will he or she be in each subsequent decade?	5 in 1929	6 in 1930	16 in 1940	26 in 1950	36 in 1960	46 in 1970	56 in 1980	66 in 1990	76 in 2000
If a child is born in 1929, how old will he or she be in each subsequent decade?		1 in 1930	11 in 1940	21 in 1950	31 in 1960	41 in 1970	51 in 1980	61 in 1990	71 in 2000

WCJC Department:	History – Dr. Bibus
Contact Information:	281.239.1577 or cjb_classes@yahoo.com
Last Updated:	2010
WCJC Home:	http://www.wcjc.edu/