This research project assesses education-related differences in three types of outcomes where they have proven to be large and persistent across societies: i) intergenerational social stratification, ii) health and mortality, and iii) electoral participation. Although the associations between education and each of the three outcomes are well-established, there are many respects where our understanding is incomplete. First, the causal relationships between education and these outcomes is inadequately understood. Second, the mechanisms that have driven the changes in education-outcome associations during last decades are not fully known. Third, family-related effects are still understudied, and the complex interplay of genetic and environmental contributions are often overlooked. Fourth, the different scientific fields of research that tackle the causes and consequences of education struggle with many similar problems, yet there has been limited cross-disciplinary dialogue. The project addresses these gaps in knowledge by using large-scale Finnish register-based datasets, along with genetically informed population-representative epidemiological surveys and twin cohorts. By using clinical biomarkers and genetic information, the project also bridges divisions between social and natural sciences. The project will apply insights and best practices obtained from each of these fields which have had limited discussions with each other, ultimately sketching a synthesis on the nature of externalities of educational attainment across disciplinary borders.
Researchers: Hannu Lahtinen
Finland’s ageing population, low fertility and uncertain migration levels pose major challenges for long-term economic sustainability. The MigScene project, led by Wolfgang Lutz, Väestöliitto, examines how alternative migration and human capital scenarios may shape Finland’s future population and public finances. Using the ELSI microsimulation model developed by the Finnish Centre for Pensions, the project combines detailed simulations of Finland’s pension and labour market systems with probabilistic population forecasts. This innovative approach makes it possible not only to assess how different demographic futures would affect economic sustainability, but also to estimate the likelihood of these futures occurring. The project will provide new evidence on the role of migration and human capital in shaping Finland’s long-term economic resilience and inform policy responses to demographic change.
Researchers: Mikko Myrskylä, Sanna Kailaheimo-Björkqvist, Julia Hellstrand, Min Zhu
Sanna Kailaheimo-Björkqvist will study the long-term effects of immigration, including the labour-market outcomes of foreign-born graduates in Finland
Julia Hellstrand will examine immigrant mobility and labour-market integration across rural and urban areas in Finland, focusing in particular on differences between Swedish- and Finnish-speaking municipalities.
Min Zhu will examine immigrants’ employment trajectories and outcomes, focusing on how they vary across immigrant generations, socioeconomic groups, and individual and family backgrounds, and exploring the factors underlying these differences.
The effects of raising a disabled child can be numerous and varied, and affect the entire family household. In Europe, approximately 4 % of children have various disabilities, and about a million of them attend special schools. However, there is a lack of research that summarises the challenges and processes of families with disabled children. The EU-funded FRAILIFE project led by Dr Nicoletta Balbo from Bocconi University aims to fill this crucial gap by using a comparative and population approach to unveil heterogeneous effects, family outcomes and pathways, short- and long-term effects, mechanisms and causalities. This project will allow for an analysis of the general functionality of families with disabled children to inform better policies of the most fragile families in European society.
Researchers: Hanna Remes, Pekka Martikainen
Despite changing attitudes towards gay, lesbian, and bisexual men and women many dimensions of their lives can still be affected by a sexual minority status and related minority stress. The objective is to provide insight into how the changing social environment has shaped the lives of gay men and lesbian women in same-sex couples in Finland. The objective is to assess and understand (1) educational and earning paths, (2) family formation and dissolution, (3) mental health problems and intimate partner violence among individuals in same-sex couples, and (4) the educational achievement of children in families with same-sex parents. We use advanced statistical methods and record-linkage data of the total population of Finland. The societal impact of the project goes far beyond academia, given that discrimination against sexual minority groups can take various forms that need to be statistically studied and discussed.
Key words: same-sex couples, lesbian, gay
Researchers: Elina Einiö, Maria Ponkilainen, Mikko Myrskylä
The living and housing conditions of individuals are likely to be influenced by different life events and social transitions at various life stages and even across generations. Leaving the parental home involves housing change by definition, and the timing and context of leaving, for example, has been shown to relate to young people’s future health and well-being. Previous research on the associations between family background and later living arrangements and housing remains relatively scarce. Housing studies have not fully embraced family issues, and housing issues are also seldom addressed in demographic and family studies. Finnish register-based individual-level data provides unique opportunities to combine these perspectives and study housing and living arrangement trajectories across the life-course. Furthermore, these trajectories can be linked to various health outcomes.
Key words: living arrangements, transition to adulthood, intergenerational effects, social inequalities
Researcher: Hanna Remes