Population Research Institute was granted funding

The Strategic Research Council (SRC) of the Academy of Finland has decided on new consortia to be funded. The Population Research Insitute is part of a consortium that received funding from the Demographic Changes - Causes, Consequences and Solutions (DEMOGRAPHY) program.

The Population Research Institute (PRI) is part of the Social Networks, fertility and wellbeing in ageing populations: Building demographic resilience in Finland (NetResilience) consortium led by Antti Tanskanen, Professor of Sociology at the University of Turku. Consortium received funding of four million euros together with Anna Rotkirch (Väestöliitto), Mirkka Danielsbacka (University of Turku), Virpi Lummaa (University of Turku), Markus Jokela (University of Helsinki) and Jari Saramäki (Aalto University). The Population Research Institute is also responsible for the social interaction of the project.

Close social ties affect the wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities, and supporting these networks should become a social policy priority. Our main aim is to identify network characteristics that strengthen population resilience, or the ability to adapt to external shocks. We study how population change affects social networks, and how changing networks, in turn, shape population change and wellbeing.

For example, changes in size and structural features of social networks likely play a part in recent fertility declines in many wealthy societies. To study these changes, we apply complex network science methodology to real-life human networks using contemporary register and survey as well as historical Finnish data. Our practical goal is to support targeted, cost-effective regional solutions to family, youth and ageing services in regions facing either depopulation or population growth.

Strategic Research Council selects new consortia to be funded (14.9.2021)