Study title

Civic Engagement of Foreign-language Speakers and People with Foreign Backgrounds in Finland 2023

Dataset ID Number

FSD3867

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3867
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3867

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)
• Rapeli, Lauri (Åbo Akademi, Institutet för samhällsforskning)
• Sipinen, Josefina (Tampere University)

Abstract

The survey examines the attitudes of second-generation immigrants in Finland toward democracy, their political participation, and how they discuss political and social issues with those close to them. The survey responses are used in a research project funded by the Prime Minister's Office on the social participation of Finns with foreign background and foreign-language speakers (UTViS). The data were collected through the Gen2 survey panel, which is part of the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO).

The survey began by asking respondents about their views on democracy in Finland using various statements. They were also asked about their satisfaction with the functioning of democracy. Next, respondents were asked whether they voted in the 2023 parliamentary elections and which party they chose. The survey then examined their societal participation over the past four years, including, for example, whether they had taken part in peaceful demonstrations.

The next section focused on how having a parent from outside Finland may have influenced political and societal discussions between respondents and their parents. Respondents were first asked about their parents' background and reasons for moving to Finland. They then evaluated a series of statements about their parents' political engagement, discussions, and voting behavior during their childhood and adolescence. Similar statements were then assessed in relation to the present day. Finally, the survey addressed experiences and perceptions of racism, including whether respondents believe racism is a problem in Finnish society.

Background variables included the respondent's age, gender, region of residence, electoral district, statistical grouping of municipalities, level of education, occupational group, party affiliation, and the continent of birth of their parents.

Keywords

cultural pluralism; democracy; ethnic groups; immigrants; minority groups; parents; political action; political participation; politics; voting behaviour

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Political behaviour and attitudes (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Minorities (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

FIRIPO GEN2

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (D) available only by permission from the data depositor/creator.

Data Collector

• Gen2

Funders

• Research Council of Finland (345714)

Time Period Covered

2023

Collection Dates

2023-09-12 – 2023-10-04

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Finnish adults with at least one parent born outside Finland

Time Method

Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Mixed probability and non-probability

41,390 randomly selected Finnish citizens over 18 years of age, with at least one of their parents born outside Finland, received an invitation by mail to join the Gen2 panel. 4882 were registered as panel respondents at the start of this survey. An invitation to participate in the survey was sent by e-mail to the panel members. The survey was answered online via Qualtrics.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

53

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

1.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

The researcher has anonymised the data by removing all variables containing open-ended responses to the response option "Other, please specify".

Weighting

The data includes a weight variable (VIKT) constructed on the basis of gender, age and region of residence to make the sample more representative in terms of these background factors.

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

Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO) & Rapeli, Lauri (Åbo Akademi, Institutet för samhällsforskning) & Sipinen, Josefina (Tampere University): Civic Engagement of Foreign-language Speakers and People with Foreign Backgrounds in Finland 2023 [dataset]. Data version 1.0 (2025-04-30). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3867; URN: https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3867

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

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

Disclaimer

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

Related Publications

Sipinen, Josefina (2024). Ovatko maahanmuuttaneiden jälkeläiset poliittisesti aktiivisempia kuin nuoret keskimäärin? [verkkodokumentti]. Cultura-säätiö. https://www.culturas.fi/fi/blogit/maahanmuuttaneiden-jalkelaiset [viitattu 15.5.2025].

Sipinen, Josefina & Koskimies, Laura & Tiensuu, Ilkka & Gusatinsky, Eilina (2025). Ulkomaalaistaustaisten ja vieraskielisten suomalaisten yhteiskunnallinen osallistuminen (UTViS) -hankkeen loppuraportti. Valtioneuvoston selvitys- ja tutkimustoiminnan julkaisusarja 2025:5. Helsinki: Valtioneuvoston kanslia. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-383-490-3.