Study title

Family Barometer 2014: Family Policy in a Time of Crisis

Dataset ID Number

FSD3005

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3005
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3005

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Lainiala, Lassi (Family Federation of Finland. Population Research Institute)
• Miettinen, Anneli (Family Federation of Finland. Population Research Institute)
• Rotkirch, Anna (Family Federation of Finland. Population Research Institute)

Abstract

The study charted Finnish views on family policy and included themes such as family benefits, taxation, parenting, gender roles and work-life balance. Data collection was funded by Alli Paasikivi Foundation (80%) and Suomen kotien kukkasrahasto foundation (20%). Many of the questions in this survey have also been presented, for instance, in the previous Family Barometer (FSD2793).

The respondents' views were surveyed on how tax income should specifically be allocated if it was used to support families with children (e.g. on day care services, child health care), and the importance of various measures that could be taken to improve the circumstances of families with children. Views were surveyed on the ideal number of children, plans to have more children, and reasons for not planning to have more children (e.g. own health, uncertain employment situation). The respondents were also asked whether their plans related to having a child would change if family benefits and services were improved.

Opinions were surveyed on the level of child benefit and child home care allowance as well as the length of parental leave and part-time child care leave. Other questions related to part-time child care leave charted whether the respondents had been on the leave with their youngest child and for how long, whether spouse had been on the leave, reasons for being on the leave a longer or shorter time than desired, and reasons for not taking the leave (e.g. negative attitude of employer, new job). The respondents were asked the age at which a child is ready to be cared for outside the home, and to what extent they agreed with a number of statements relating to gender roles and significance of children and family.

Views were investigated on the reasons for the fact that many Finns either postponed parenthood or did not have children at all. Finally, the respondents were asked which potential changes to family leave they found acceptable and how the state had succeeded in improving the well-being of families and children.

Background variables included, among others, the respondent's date of birth, gender, mother tongue, region of residence, marital status, household composition, level of education, economic activity and occupational status, political party choice, self-perceived social class, and personal gross annual income. Further background variables included the spouse's year of birth and education, the mother tongues of the members of the household, household size, number and ages of children in the household, gross annual income of the household, and the respondent's/family's financial situation.

Keywords

child care; child day care; children; families; family benefits; family life; family policy; labour and employment; parental benefits; parental leave; parental role; parents; social security benefits

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Social welfare policy (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Family life and marriage (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Social welfare systems/structures (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Family Barometers

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• TNS Gallup Finland

Data Producers

• Family Federation of Finland. Population Research Institute

Time Period Covered

2013 – 2014

Collection Dates

2013-11-15 – 2013-12-04

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

People aged 20-55 living in Finland (excluding the Åland Islands)

Time Method

Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Probability

The respondents were members of TNS Gallup Finland's panel. The aim was to draw a sample from the panel that was as representative of the target population as possible. The number of persons selected for the study was 5,036, out of whom 2,619 responded. The overall response rate was affected by the low response rate among young men (29%).

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

52

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

2.0

Related Datasets

FSD2793 Family Barometer 2010: Family Policy

Weighting

There is a weight variable 'wtvl' in the data, which corrects the sample distributions on age and gender to match the population.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Lainiala, Lassi (Family Federation of Finland) & Miettinen, Anneli (Family Federation of Finland) & Rotkirch, Anna (Family Federation of Finland): Family Barometer 2014: Family Policy in a Time of Crisis [dataset]. Data version 2.0 (2018-08-21). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3005; URN: https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3005

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Special Terms and Conditions for Access

Users of the data shall send Väestöliitto [Family Federation of Finland] a copy of all research publications based on or using the data. Publications shall be sent to the mail address: Väestöliitto, Väestöntutkimuslaitos, PL 849, 00101 HELSINKI, FINLAND.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Materials

Lainiala, Lassi (2014). Perhebarometri 2014. Perhepolitiikka kriisin aikana. Helsinki: Väestöliitto. Väestöntutkimuslaitos. Katsauksia E 48/2014.

Related Publications

Lainiala, Lassi (2014). Perhebarometri 2014. Perhepolitiikka kriisin aikana. Helsinki: Väestöliitto. Väestöntutkimuslaitos. Katsauksia E 48/2014.

Varjamo, Viivi (2016). Suomalaisten suhtautuminen lasten kotihoidon tukeen. Jyväskylä: Jyväskylän yliopisto. Yhteiskuntatieteiden laitos. Yhteiskuntapolitiikan pro gradu -tutkielma.

Salmela, Riikka (2020) Tulisiko isyysvapaata pidentää? Kvantitatiivinen tutkimus suomalaisten asennoitumisesta isyysvapaan kehittämiseen. Kandidaatintutkielma, Tampereen ylipisto.

Niemimaa, Karoliina (2020). Vanhempien koulutustaustan yhteys perheen lapsilukuun. Tampere: Tampereen yliopisto. Kasvatustieteiden kandidaatintutkinto.URN:NBN:fi:tuni-201912036515

Golovina K, Nitsche N, Berg V, Miettinen A, Rotkirch A, Jokela M (2023). Birth cohort changes in fertility ideals: Evidence from repeated cross-sectional surveys in Finland. European Sociological Review, jcad048. https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcad048

Laamanen, Viivi (2024). Changes in work and family attitudes over birth cohorts and links to childfree ideals in Finnish women and men. Master's Thesis in Psychology. Helsinki: University of Helsinki.