Anna Rotkirch
Welcome to my website! I study families, fertility and social relations and engage in science popularisation and the development of population policies.
As a Research Professor & Director
Population Research Institute, Väestöliitto I promote sustainable population development.
My demographic report for the government presented guidelines for Finnish population policies in the 2020s.
Our research on why Masks4all helps during the pandemic: De Kai, Morgunov, A., Goldstein, G-P., Nanglia, V. & Rotkirch, A. (2020, preprint research gate) Universal Masking is Urgent in the COVID-19 Pandemic: SEIR and Agent Based Models, Empirical Validation, Policy Recommendations
Current research projects are (see publications on their own page):
- Couple relations in old age, LoveAge, financed by the Academy of Finland
- Childbearing incentives and fertility trends in Finland and Europe
- Effects of screen use on romantic and family relations
- Friendship (especially friendship in dyads vs. larger groups, and their gender differences)
These topics all currently reshape social life in ageing societies. For instance, since people are having fewer children and living longer the role of siblings and cousins will change, while the importance of grandparents and friends is growing.
I am also involved as PI or co-PI with several large Finnish data collections, including Generational Transmissions in Finland longitudinal surveys, SHARE Finland survey (part of SHARE-ERIC), Generations and Gender survey Finland (part of the Generations and Gender Programme).
I value science popularisation and regularly lecture for lay audiences and write newspaper columns (eg. here). I aim to integrate social and biological approaches to the study of human behaviour, including the use of life history theory in human behavioural sciences.