The Institute carries out research on family relations and family formation, fertility and wellbeing in families. Research fields range from sociology and demography to feminist studies and psychology. We provide information on Finnish famlies for the scientific society as well as for professionals and media working on the field.

Currently research projects focus on postponement of parenthood, fertility trends in Finland during the late 1900s, psychological and emotional factors related to childbearing, the role of origin in the life of adoptees, and families with many children. In addition, a project on flexible working time arrangements aims to promote family-friendly practices at working places.

More information: Director Anna Rotkirch, firstname.lastname@vaestoliitto.fi tel. 09-2280 5144

Current research projects:

 
Family Barometer
The 2010 Family Barometer focuses on attitudes and opinions related to family policy measures. We use data from a representative survey conducted in late 2009.

The 2011 Family Barometer studies leisure time activities of children and youth. We participate in the new Time use survey coordinated by Statistics Finland.

More information: Director Anna Rotkirch, firstname.lastname@vaestoliitto.fi tel. 09-2280 5144

Late fertility: postponement of parenthood and its implications

Postponement of parenthood is a common trend among industrialized countries. It has important consequencies for the families and individuals as well as for the society. Research project examines fertility trends in Finland during the late 1900 and in 2000 and factors related to postponement of childbearing. We investigate childbearing intentions and barriers among Finnish young adults, childlessness and parenthood motivations and expectations among IVF-patients.

Late fertility survey questionnaire in English (pdf)

More information: Director Anna Rotkirch, firstname.lastname@vaestoliitto.fi, tel. 09-228 05144

Reproductive behaviour in contemporary societies
The project brings together a mutlidisciplinary group of demographers, sociologists, psychologists, and evolutionary biologists to study human fertility behaviour and family formation from an evolutionary point of view. We examine the determinants of fertility on individual, social and population level using data from registers, surveys and qualititative interviews. This is a joint research project involving University of Helsinki, University of Sheffield and Väestöliitto. Funding: Kone Foundation.

More information: Director Anna Rotkirch, firstname.lastname@vaestoliitto.fi, tel. 09-228 05144

The role of origin in the life of transnational adoptees in Finland
Transnational adoption is an interesting research topic regarding to family relations and ethnicity since neither family nor ethnicity run in this case through biological kinship. The main questions of this dissertation study are: What aspect of origin is meaningful to a transnational adoptee and why? In which situations is the adoptee´s origin meaningful and how do these meanings vary in different social environments. Are there any differences in attitudes towards "invisible" (mostly Russian-born adoptees) and "visible" transnational adoptees?

The data is collected by interviewing adoptees (mostly Indian, Ethiopian, Colombian and Russian) in addition by focus group interviews with adoptive parents. The Jenny and Antti Wihuri Fund is financing this project which lasts until 2012.

More information: Visiting researher Heidi Ruohio, firstname.lastname@vaestoliitto.fi

Family-friendly practices in working places
The aim of this project is to promote family-friendly practices in Finnish working places. The focus is on the flexibility of working hours and the main topics are: 1) how to support parents´ possibilities in combining work and family life, 2) which are the most effective ways in increasing information of the family-friendly practices so that more enterprises would fulfill the demands of a "family-friendly organization", and 3) which are the main obstacles hindering good practices in combining work and family life. A couple of pilot enterprises have been committed in 2009; the main method used is focus group interview. The project lasts until 2011.

More information: Project coordinator Anna Kokko, firstname.lastname@vaestoliitto.fi tel. 09-2280 5118

Social history of abortions in Finland, 1950–1972
Väestöliitto's social board granted permissions for induced abortions in the 1950s–70s. We study the social history of abortions in collaboration with the unit for economic and social history at the University of Helsinki