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Pirjo Nikander

Research Director, tutkijakoulu
Doctoral School
Tampere University
pirjo.nikander [at] tuni.fi (pirjo[dot]nikander[at]tuni[dot]fi)
phone number+358401901373

About me

Research director of Tampere University Doctoral School that directs, oversees and develops doctoral education on the university level. The Doctoral School is a university-wide expert of research education. The courses and events organised by the school offer all our doctoral researchers (2800) opportunities to develop essential research and transferable skills in research methods, research ethics, and conducting research. https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/doctoral-school

Beneficiary in EU Horizon 2020 MSCA-Innovative Training Network Euro-Ageism, and supervise two doctoral researchers funded within this international project https://euroageism.eu/

The Doctoral School is also involved in the Horizon 2020 SwafS -project DocEnhance, that focuses on developing pan-European doctoral education tools and resources for joint online use. I am in charge of WP3, and responsible for e.g. resources toward doctoral supervisory development https://docenhance.eu/

My research profile consists of research, projects and publications on ageing, ageism, qualitative methods, institutional interaction, and working life transitions. 

Responsibilities

  • Doctoral education curriculum develpment and execution in a 3-year cycle at Tampere University
  • Monitoring, participation and development of doctoral education in national networks and as part of European University Association, Council for Doctoral Education Steering Group (2019-)
  • Co-ordination of doctoral and research competense in collaboration with doctoral programmes and other university actors. 
  • Participation in internationally EU-funded projects pertinenet to doctoral education (e.g. DocEnhance). 
  • Research and publication activities

Main positions of trust

Member if the International Advisory Board at University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague 2021-

Memeber of EUA-CDE Steering committee 2019-

Research topics

Age, ageing, ageism, chrononormativity, institutional meanings of age, age and morality

Research unit

https://www.gerec.fi/en/

Research fields

Age, ageing & the dynamics of ageism

Ageing in institutional interaction

Qualitative methods

Qualitative longitudinal research

Membership categorization analysis

Funding

•Academy of Finland, 2000-2002 •Academy of Finland, post doc 2004-2005 •Researcher Centre Advanced Study 2006-2007 •Kone foundation 2014 250 000€ •Senior Research Fellow, Research Collegium 2014-2015 •H2020 ITN EuroAgeism 515 000€ •H2020SwafS DocEnhance

Research career

M.Soc.Sc Univeristy of Tampere 1993

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Loughborough University, UK, Dept. of Social Sciences 2001

Adjunct prof (docent) Helsinki University 2004

Adjunt prof. (docent University of Tampere 2006

Just prior to my current work as the research director of the Doctoral School, I helped establish the Methodology Centre for Human Sciences in the University of Jyväskylä 2007-2011. The centre organises doctoral education across disciplinary and faculty borders, and I was in charge of qualitative methods.

Selected publications

Keskinen Katri, Lumme-Sandt Kirsi & Nikander Pirjo (2023): Turning age into agency: A qualitative longitudinal investigation into older jobseekers' agentic responses to ageism. Journal of Aging Studies 65. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890406523000373?via%3Dihub

Keskinen Katri & Nikander Pirjo (2023) Researching Time and Ageism: Applications of Qualitative Longitudinal Research to the Field. Journal of Applied Gerontology. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07334648231160982

Subas Neupane, Saila Kyrönlahti, Hanna Kosonen, K. C. Prakash, Anna Siukola,Kirsi Lumme‑Sandt, Pirjo Nikander & Clas‑Håkan Nygård (2022): Quality of work community and workers’ intention to retire. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-021-01826-4

Niska Miira & Nikander Pirjo (2021) Older Workers’ Evaluations of the Political Goal to Extend Working Life: Discursive Approach to the “Attitude Problem”. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 2021, Vol. 9(1), 236–254, https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.6447

Kirsi Lumme-Sandt, Pirjo Nikander, Ilkka Pietilä ja Sinikka Vakimo (2020) Ikäkäsitykset päätöksenteon taustalla. Gerontologia: Teemanumero Ikääntyvän yhteiskunnan käsikirja. 4, 359-362.

Previtali, F., Keskinen, K., Niska, M., & Nikander, P. (2020). Ageism in Working Life: A Scoping Review on Discursive Approaches. Gerontologist, gnaa119. XX. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa119

Niska, M., Prakash, K., Siukola, A., Kosonen, H., Luomanen, J., Lumme-Sandt, K., Neupane, S., Nikander, P., & Nygård, C.-H. (2020). Evaluation of Lifelong Work Satisfaction among Former Postal Service Workers. Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.18291/njwls.v10i1.118677 https://tidsskrift.dk/njwls/article/view/118677/166571

Kosonen, Hanna, Keskinen Katri, Nikander Pirjo & Lumme-Sandt, Kirsi (2020) Employment Exits Near Retirement Age: An Agency-analysis. Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies, 11:1, 63-83.

Nikander Pirjo: Kiikarissa tohtoreiden modernit urapolut. Acatiimi 2, 24-26. https://www.acatiimi.fi/2_2020/17.php

Nikander Pirjo & Keskinen Katri (2020) Laadullinen seurantatutkimus. Teoksessa Jaana Vuori (toim.) Laadullisen tutkimuksen verkkokäsikirja. Tampere: Yhteiskuntatieteellinen tietoarkisto [ylläpitäjä ja tuottaja]. https://www.fsd.tuni.fi/fi/palvelut/menetelmaopetus/

Ylänne Virpi & Nikander Pirjo (2019) Being an ‘Older Parent’: Membership Categorization and Chrononormativity. Text and Talk. 

Prakash H.C, Jodi Oakman, Clas-Håkan Nygård, Anna Siukola, Kirsi Lumme-Sandt, Pirjo Nikander & Supas Neupane (2019) Intention to Retire in Employees over 50 years. What is the Role of Work Ability and Work Life Satisfaction? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Krekula, Clary, Nikander Pirjo & Wilinska Monika (2018): Gendered Ageism: Conceptualizing Multiple Marginalizations Based on Age. In Liat Ayalon & Clemens Tesch-Roemer (Eds.) Contemporary Perspectives on Ageism. Springer, Pp. 33-50. OA-publication, available: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-73820-8

Stypinska Justyna & Nikander Pirjo (2018): Ageism and Age Discrimination in the Labour Market: A Macrostructural Perspective. In Liat Ayalon & Clemens Tesch-Roemer (Eds.) Contemporary Perspectives on Ageism. Springer, Pp. 91-108. OA-publication, available: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-73820-8

Luomanen Jari, Lumme-Sandt Kirsi, Virkola Elisa & Nikander Pirjo (2018): Kadonnut yhteisö? Postilaisuus ikääntyvien Postin työntekijöiden haastattelupuheessa. Työelämän Tutkimus 16(3), 154-168. Artikkeli palkittiin Työelämän tutkimus -lehden parhaaksi artikkeliksi vuosina 2017-2019 http://www.tyoelamantutkimus.fi/tyoelaman-tutkimus-lehden-artikkelipalkinto-2019/

Ruusuvuori, Johanna, Nikander, Pirjo ja Hyvärinen Matti (toim.) Haastattelun analyysi. Tampere, Vastapaino 2010.

Hyvärinen Matti, Nikander Pirjo & Ruusuvuori Johanna (2017): Haastattelututkimuksen käsikirja. Tampere, Vastapaino.