Professor Virpi Timonen
Professor, Sch Office - Social Work & Social Policy
Biography
A Finnish national who earned her doctorate at the University of Oxford, Professor Timonen's work focuses on the sociology of ageing and social policies as they are unfolding in ageing societies.
Since her PhD was awarded in 2001, Professor Timonen has produced over 120 published research outputs on ageing, care, and the welfare state, including transformational contributions to understanding later lives in the context of intergenerational relations within families and societies. These publications include three sole authored and one co-authored book, and two edited volumes: Contemporary Grandparenting, the first book on grandparenting in global contexts, followed by a sequel (at publisher's request) titled Grandparenting Practices around the World. These books are the first compilations of research on grandparenting from all continents. Professor Timonen also has published 20+ book chapters and 60+ journal articles.
Professor Timonen's journal articles span many top-ranking journals in her own discipline and in interdisciplinary journals, indicative of the broad intellectual scope and appeal of her work - including, for instance, Gender & Society (Q1), Ageing & Society (Q1), Family Relations (Q1), Qualitative Health Research (Q1), Journal of Aging Studies (Q1), Social Politics (Q1), Research on Aging (Q1), Social Science & Medicine (Q1), Health and Social Care in the Community (Q1), the Journal of Family Issues (Q1), the Journal of Social Policy (Q1), Qualitative Research (Q1) and the European Journal of Ageing (Q1), among many others. Approximately 70% of her journal articles have been published in Q1 journals, and a further 20% in Q2.
In total, Professor Timonen has raised in excess of 2.5 million in research funding for projects that she has led. During her time at Trinity College she has had leading research and advisory roles in over 16 major research initiatives, including over 12 research grants. On nine of these projects she was a lead Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI.
As Founding Director of the Social Policy and Ageing Research Centre, Director of Research and Director of Postgraduate Teaching and Learning in her School, and as non-executive director in the largest teaching hospital in Ireland, a significant amount of Professor Timonen's time has been devoted to management and leadership duties, in addition to postgraduate research supervision and undergraduate teaching. She also has a track-record of involvement in numerous cross-Faculty initiatives in Trinity, including the Ageing Consortium, the Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the Ageing and Inclusive Society research themes.
In 2014-2018, Professor Timonen served as the elected President of the Research Committee on the Sociology of Ageing (RC11) of the International Sociological Association (ISA), the largest global scholarly community of social gerontologists.
Professor Timonen has supervised to successful completion 14 PhDs and is currently supervising three PhD students. She has supervised the work of five post-doctoral researchers.
Professor Timonen's research outputs have received over 3800 citations on Google Scholar and her H-index is 37.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Lolich, L. and Timonen, V., Fortunate and fearful: Emotions evoked by home care policies for older people in Ireland, Emotions and Society, 2, (1), 2020
Pirhonen, J., Lolich, L., Tuominen, K., Jolanki, O. and Timonen, V., "These devices have not been made for older people's needs" - Older adults' perceptions of digital technologies in Finland and Ireland, Technology in Society, 62, 2020
Timonen, V. and Lolich, L., Dependency as status: Older adults' presentations of self as recipients of care, SAGE Open, 2020
Wilson, F., Ng, L., O'Sullivan, K., Caneiro, J., O'Sullivan, P., Horgan, A., Thornton, J., Wilkie, K. and Timonen, V., 'You're the best liar in the world': a grounded theory study of rowing athletes' experience of low back pain, British Journal of Sport Medicine, 2020
Theurer, K., Stone, R., Suto, M., Timonen, V., Brown, S. and Mortenson, B., The impact of peer mentoring on loneliness, depression, and social engagement in long-term care, Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2020
Elliott O'Dare, C., Timonen, V. and Conlon, C., Doing intergenerational friendship: Challenging the dominance of age homophily in friendship, Canadian Journal of Aging - La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 2020
Conlon C, Timonen V, Elliott O'Dare C, O'Keeffe S, Foley G. , Confused about theoretical sampling? Engaging theoretical sampling in diverse grounded theory studies, Qualitative Health Research, 30, (6), 2020, p947 - 959
Luciana Lolich, Isabella Riccò, Blanca Deusdad, Virpi Timonen,, Embracing technology? Health and Social Care professionals' attitudes to the deployment of e-Health initiatives in elder care services in Catalonia and Ireland,, Technological Forecasting and Social Change,, 147, 2019, p63 - 71
McDonald, A., Lolich, L., Timonen, V. and Warters, A., "Time is more important than anything else": Tensions of time in home care of older adults in Ireland, International Journal of Care and Caring, 2019
Theurer, K., Stone, R., Suto, M., Timonen, V., Brown, S. and Mortenson, B., Loneliness, depression and peer mentoring in nursing homes, JAMDA (Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine), 2019
Timonen, V. and Lolich, A., "The poor carer": Ambivalent social construction of the home care worker in elder care services , Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 2019
Elliott O'Dare, C., Timonen, V. and Conlon, C., Escaping "the old fogey": Doing old age through intergenerational friendship, Journal of Aging Studies, 2019
From 'active' to 'capable': a capability framework for policy and practice on ageing and later life in, editor(s)Yerkes, M., .Javornik, J. and Kurowska, A. , Social policy and the capability approach: Concepts, measurements and application, Bristol and Chicago, Policy Press and The University of Chicago Press, 2019, pp41 - 60, [De São José, J., Timonen, V., Amado, C. and Santos, S.]
Elliott O'Dare, C., Timonen, V. and Conlon, C., Intergenerational friendships of older adults: Why do we know so little about them?, Ageing & Society, 2019, p1 - 16
'Introduction: Widening the lens on grandparenting' in, editor(s)Timonen, V. , Grandparenting practices around the world, Bristol and Chicago, Policy Press/Bristol University Press and University of Chicago Press., 2018, pp1 - 20, [Timonen, V.]
Turning the 'problem' into the solution: Hopes, trends and contradictions in home care policies for ageing populations in, editor(s)Boll, T., Ferring, D. and Valsiner, J. , Cultures of care in aging, Charlotte, NC, Information Age Publishing, 2018, pp39 - 55, [Timonen, V. and Rostgaard, T.]
McGarrigle, C., Timonen, V. and Layte, R., Choice and Constraint in the Negotiation of the Grandparent Role: A Mixed-Methods Study, Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 2018, 4:23337214
'Conclusions: the grandparents' century?' in, editor(s)Timonen, V. , Grandparenting practices around the world, Bristol and Chicago, Policy Press/Bristol University Press and University of Chicago Press., 2018, pp271 - 283, [Timonen, V.]
Forsberg, H. and Timonen, V., The future of the family as envisioned by young adults in Ireland, Journal of Youth Studies, 21, (6), 2018, p765 - 779
Timonen V, Foley G, Conlon C., Challenges when using Grounded Theory: A pragmatic introduction to doing GT research, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 17, (1), 2018, p1 - 10
Timonen, V. (Editor), Grandparenting practices around the world, Bristol and Chicago, Policy Press/Bristol University Press and University of Chicago Press., 2018, 1-291pp
Kodate, N. and Timonen, V., Bringing the family in through the back door: The stealthy expansion of family care in Asian and European long-term care policy, Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 32, (3), 2017, p291 - 301
Sao Jose, J., Timonen, V., Amado, C. and Santos, S., A critique of the active ageing index, Journal of Aging Studies, 40, 2017, p49 - 56
Theurer, K., Mortenson, B., Brown, S., Stone, R., Suto, M.J., Timonen, V. , The impact of peer mentoring in residential care, Innovation in Aging, IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics, San Francisco, United States, 23-27 July 2017, 1, (Suppl. 1), 2017, pp238 - 239
Kamiya, Y., Timonen, V. and Kenny, R.A., The impact of childhood sexual abuse on the mental, physical health, and health care utilization of older adults, International Psychogeriatrics , 28, (3), 2016, p415-22
Between control and surrender in terminal illness in, editor(s)Gubrium, J.F., Alm Andreassen, T., and Solvang, P.K. , Reimagining the Human Service Relationship, New York, Columbia University Press, 2016, pp123 - 139, [Foley, G. and Timonen, V.]
Galvin, M., Corr, B., Madden, C., Mays, I., McQuillan, R., Timonen, V., Staines, A. and Hardiman, O., Caregiving in ALS - A mixed methods study of burden, BMC Palliative Care, 15, (81), 2016, p1 - 12
Timonen, V., Beyond successful and active ageing: A theory of model ageing, Bristol, Policy Press, 2016, 1 - 119pp
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O., "I hate being a burden": The patient perspective on carer burden in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 17, (5-6), 2016, p351 - 357
Dempsey, C., Normand, C. and Timonen, V., Towards a more person-centred home care service: A study of the preferences of older adults and home care workers, Administration, 64, (2), 2016, p109 - 136
Foley G, Timonen V., Using grounded theory method to capture and analyze health care experiences, Health Services Research, 50, (4), 2015, p1195 - 1210
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O. , The impact of family on decision-making in ALS care: The patient perspective, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 26th International Symposium on ALS/MND, Orlando, United States, 11-13 December 2015, 16 , (Suppl. 1), 2015, pps12
Timonen, V. and Conlon, C., Beyond Mannheim: Conceptualising how people 'talk' and 'do' generations in contemporary society, Advances in Life Course Research, 24, 2015, p1 - 9
Conlon, C., Carney, G., Timonen, V. and Scharf, T., 'Emergent Reconstruction' in Grounded Theory: Learning from Team-Based Interview Research, Qualitative Research, 15, (1), 2015, p39 - 56
Theurer, K., Mortenson, B., Stone, R., Suto, M., Timonen, V. and Rozanova, J., The Need for a Social Revolution in Residential Care, Journal of Aging Studies, 2015, p201 - 210
Grandparenting in, editor(s)Twigg, J. and Martin, W. , Routledge Handbook of Cultural Gerontology, London, Routledge, 2015, pp234 - 242, [Arber, S. and Timonen, V.]
Conlon, C., Timonen, V., Scharf, T. and Carney, G., Consumption of care and intergenerational relations in the Irish context, Families, Relationships and Societies, 3, (1), 2014, p139 - 142(4)
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O., Acceptance and decision making in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from a life-course perspective, Qualitative Health Research, 24, (1), 2014, p67 - 77
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O. , Understanding psycho-social processes that underpin how people with ALS make decisions about care, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 25th International Symposium on ALS/MND, Brussels, Belgium, 5 - 7 December 2014, 15, (Suppl. 1), 2014, pps122-123
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O., Exerting control and adapting to loss in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , Social Science & Medicine, 101, 2014, p113 - 119
Kamiya, Y., Doyle, M., Henretta, J. and Timonen, V., Early-life circumstances and later-life loneliness in Ireland, The Gerontologist, 54, (5), 2014, p773 - 783
Conlon, C., Timonen, V., Carney, G. and Scharf, T., Women (re-)negotiating care across family generations: Intersections of gender and socioeconomic status, Gender & Society, 28, (5), 2014, p729 - 751
Sustainability of the Nordic model in the face of population ageing in, editor(s)Harper, S. and Hamblin, K. , International Handbook of Ageing and Public Policy, Cheltenham (UK) and Northampton (US), Edward Elgar, 2014, pp279 - 290, [Timonen, V. and Kautto, M.]
Timonen, V. and Doyle, M., Life-long singlehood: Intersections of the past and the present, Ageing & Society, 34, (10), 2014, p1749 - 1770
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O., Understanding psycho-social processes underpinning engagement with services in motor neurone disease: A qualitative study, Palliative Medicine, 28, (4), 2014, p318 - 325
Carney, G., Scharf, T., Timonen, V. and Conlon, C., 'Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt': Solidarity between generations in the Irish crisis, Critical Social Policy, 34, 2014, p312 - 332
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O. , How and why people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis engage with healthcare services: A qualitative study of service users' experiences in Ireland, Palliative Medicine, 8th World Research Congress of the European Association of Palliative Care, Lleida, Spain, 5 - 7 June 2014, 28, (6), 2014, pp619
Kamiya, Y., Doyle, M., Henretta, J. and Timonen, V., Depressive symptoms among older adults: The impact of early and later life circumstances and marital status, Aging and Mental Health, 17, (3), 2013, p349 - 357
Back to basics or into a brave new world? The potential and pitfalls of biomarkers in explaining the pathways between social engagement and health in, editor(s)Hoque, N., McGehee, M.A. and Bradshaw, B.S. (eds) , Applied demography and public health [Applied demography series volume 3], New York, Springer, 2013, pp313 - 336, [Kamiya, Y., Timonen, V., Romero-Ortuno, R. and Kenny, R.A.]
Timonen, Virpi, Conlon, Catherine, Scharf, Thomas and Carney, Gemma, Family, state, class and solidarity: Re-conceptualising intergenerational solidarity through the Grounded Theory approach, European Journal of Ageing, 10, (3), 2013, p171 - 179
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O., The meaning of loss for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Impact on decision-making in care, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 24th International Symposium on ALS/MND, Milan, Italy, 6 - 8 December 2013, 14, (Suppl. 2), 2013, pps72
Powerless observers? Policymakers' views on the inclusion of older people's interest organizations in the policy process in Ireland in, editor(s)Linden, T.S. and Ervik, R. , The Making of Aging Policy: Theory and Practice in Europe, Cheltenham and Northampton, Edward Elgar, 2013, pp78 - 97, [Doyle, M. and Timonen, V.]
O'Dwyer, C., Doyle, M., Timonen, V. and Moore, E., 'We have all moved on': How grandparents cope with their adult child's relationship breakdown, Families, Relationships and Societies, 1, (2), 2012, p223 - 241
Timonen, V., Review of: 'Ageing populations in post-industrial democracies: Comparative studies of policies and politics' by Pieter Vanhuysse and Achim Goerres, Ageing & Society , 32, (7), 2012, p1264 - 1266
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O., Experience of services as a key outcome in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) care. The case for a better understanding of patient experiences, American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 29, (5), 2012, p362 - 367
'Grandparenting in the twenty-first century: New directions' in, Arber, S. and Timonen, V. , Contemporary grandparenting: changing family relationships in global contexts, Bristol, Policy Press, 2012, pp247 - 264, [Arber, S. and Timonen, V.]
Moore, E., Timonen, V., O'Dwyer, C. and Doyle, M., Divorce and Intergenerational Support: Comparing the Perceptions of Divorced Adults and Their Parents, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 43, (2), 2012, p261 - 279
Arber, S. and Timonen, V. (eds), Contemporary grandparenting: changing family relationships in global contexts, Bristol, Policy Press, 2012, 270pp
'Introduction: A new look at grandparenting' in, editor(s)Arber, S. and Timonen, V. , Contemporary grandparenting: changing family relationships in global contexts, Bristol, Policy Press, 2012, pp1 - 24, [Timonen, V. and Arber, S.]
'Grandparental agency after adult children's divorce in, editor(s)Arber, S. and Timonen, V. , Contemporary grandparenting: changing family relationships in global contexts, Bristol, Policy Press, 2012, pp159 - 180, [Timonen, V. and Doyle, M.]
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O., Patients' perceptions of services and preferences for care in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A review, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, 13, (1), 2012, p11 - 24
Timonen, V., Doyle, M. and O'Dwyer, C., Expanded but not regulated: Ambiguity in home care policy in Ireland, Health and Social Care in the Community, 20, (3), 2012, p310 - 318
Rostgaard, T., Timonen, V. and Glendinning, C., Comparing home care policies across Europe, Health and Social Care in the Community, 20, (3), 2012, p225 - 227
Timonen, V., Scharf, T., Conlon, C. and Carney, G., Intergenerational solidarity and justice in Ireland: Towards a new national dialogue, Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 10, (3), 2012, p317 - 321
Home Care in Ireland in, editor(s)Rostgaard, T., Glendinning, C., Gori, C., Kroger, T., Osterle, A., Szebehely, M., Theobald, H., Timonen, V. and Vabo, M. , LIVINDHOME: Living Independently at Home. , Copenhagen, SFI - Danish National Centre for Social Research, 2011, pp161 - 184, [Timonen, V., Doyle, M. and O'Dwyer, C.]
Older Persons' Social Engagement in, editor(s)Barrett A., Savva G.M., Timonen V., Kenny R.A. , Fifty plus in Ireland 2011: First results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, 2011, [Timonen, V., Kamiya, Y. and Maty, S.]
Older People as Members of Their Families and Communities in, editor(s)Barrett A., Savva G.M., Timonen V., Kenny R.A. , Fifty plus in Ireland 2011: First results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, 2011, [Kamiya, Y. and Timonen, V.]
Foley G., Timonen V. and Hardiman O. , 'A systematic review of ALS patients' perceptions of services and decision making in care', Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis, 22nd International Symposium on ALS/MND, Sydney, Sydney, Australia, 30 Nov - 2 Dec 2011, Suppl. 1, 2011, pps13
Health and Social Care in, editor(s)Barrett A., Savva G.M., Timonen V., Kenny R.A. , Fifty plus in Ireland 2011: First results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, 2011, [Normand, C., Kamiya, Y., Timonen, V. and Whelan, B.]
Rostgaard, T., Glendinning, C., Gori, C., Kroger, T., Osterle, A., Szebehely, M., Theobald, H., Timonen, V. and Vabo, M., LIVINDHOME: Living Independently at Home. Reforms in Home Care in 9 European Countries, Copenhagen, SFI - the Danish National Centre for Social Research, April, 2011, 252 pages
Timonen, Virpi, Doyle, Martha and O'Dwyer, Ciara, 'He really leant on me a lot': Parents' Perspectives on the Provision of Support to Divorced and Separated Adult Children in Ireland, Journal of Family Issues, 32, (12), 2011, p1622-1646
Foley G, Timonen V, Hardiman O., A systematic review of ALS patients' perceptions of services and decision making in care, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, 22nd International Symposium on ALS/MND, Sydney, Nov 30-Dec 02 2011, 12, (Suppl. 1), 2011, s13
Kamiya, Y., Timonen, V. and Cronin, H., The impact of childhood sexual abuse on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the older adult population in Ireland, International Psychogeriatrics, 23, (S80-81), 2011
Doyle, M. and Timonen, V., Obligations, Ambitions, Calculations: Migrant Care Workers' Negotiation of Work, Career and Family, Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society, 17, (1), 2010, p29 - 52
Doyle, Martha and Timonen, Virpi, Lessons from a Community-Based Participatory Research Project: Older People's and Researchers' Reflections, Research on Aging, 32, (2), 2010, p244 - 263
Kamiya, Yumiko, Whelan, Brendan, Timonen, Virpi and Kenny, Rose Anne, The differential impact of subjective and objective aspects of social engagement on cardiovascular risk factors, BMC Geriatrics, 10, (81), 2010
Doyle, M., O'Dwyer, C. and Timonen, V., , 'How Can You Just Cut Off a Whole Side of the Family and Say Move On?' The Reshaping of Paternal Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships Following Relationship Breakdown in the Middle Generation, Family Relations, 59, (5), 2010, p587 - 598
Timonen, Virpi and Doyle, Martha, Caring and Collaborating Across Cultures? Migrant Care Workers' Relationships with Care Recipients, Colleagues and Employers, European Journal of Women's Studies, 17, (1), 2010, p25 - 41
O'Dwyer, Ciara and Timonen, Virpi, Rethinking the Value of Residents' Councils: Observations and Lessons from an Exploratory Study, Journal of Applied Gerontology, 29, (6), 2010, p762 - 771
Timonen, V. and O'Dwyer, C. , 'It's nice to see someone coming in': Exploring the Social Objectives of Meals-on-Wheels, Canadian Journal on Aging, 29, (3), 2010, p399 - 410
O'Dwyer, Ciara, Corish, Clare and Timonen, Virpi, Nutritional Status of Irish Older People in Receipt of Meals-on-Wheels and the Nutritional Content of Meals Provided, Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 22, (6), 2009, p521-527
Timonen, V., Doyle, M. and O'Dwyer, C. (with contributions from E. Moore), The Role of Grandparents in Divorced and Separated Families, Dublin, Family Support Agency and Social Policy and Ageing Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin, November, 2009
Timonen, Virpi and O'Dwyer, Ciara, Living in institutional care: Residents' experiences and coping strategies, Social Work in Healthcare, 48, (6), 2009, p597 - 613
Doyle, Martha and Timonen, Virpi, The Different Faces of Care Work: Understanding the Experiences of the Multi-Cultural Care Workforce, Ageing & Society, 29, 2009, p337 - 350
Toward an Integrative Theory of Care: Formal and Informal Intersections in, editor(s)Roberto, Karen A. and Mancini, Jay A. , Pathways of Human Development: Explorations of Change, Lanham, MD, Lexington, 2009, pp307 - 326, [Timonen, V.]
Timonen, V. and Doyle, M., In Search of Security: Migrant Workers' Understandings, Experiences and Expectations Regarding 'Social Protection', Journal of Social Policy, 38, (1), 2009, p157 - 175
O'Dwyer, C. and Timonen, V., 'Doomed to Extinction? The Nature and Future of Volunteering for Meal-on-Wheels Services', Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 20, 2009, p35 - 49
Timonen, V. , Ageing Societies: A Comparative Introduction, Maidenhead, Open University Press, 2008, 208pp
Timonen, V. and M. Doyle, From the workhouse to the home. The historical origins and development of domiciliary care services for older people in Ireland, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 28, (3/4), 2008, p76 - 89
O'Dwyer, C. and Timonen, V., The Role and Future Development of Meals-on-Wheels Services for Older People in Ireland, Dublin, National Council on Ageing and Older People, 2008, 1-240
Doyle, Martha and Timonen, Virpi, Breaking the Mould: New Trajectories in the Domiciliary Care of Older People in Ireland, International Journal of Social Welfare, 17, 2008, p324 - 332
Ahern, D., Doyle, M. and Timonen, V., Regulating Home Care of Older People: The Inevitable Poor Relation?, Dublin University Law Journal, 29, 2007, p374 - 396
Doyle, M. and Timonen, V., Home Care for Ageing Populations: A Comparative Analysis of Domiciliary Care in Denmark, Germany and the United States, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 2007, 154pp
O'Brien M, Curry P, O'Neill D, Timonen V., Hospital Professionals' Perceptions Of Older People's Participation In The Acute Hospital Discharge Process: A Phenomenographic Study., Irish Journal of Medical Sciences, 176, (Suppl 6), 2007, ppS235-6
Timonen, V. and M. Doyle, Worlds apart? Public, private and non-profit sector providers of domiciliary care for older persons in Ireland, Journal of Aging Studies, 21, (3), 2007, p255 - 265
Timonen, V., J. Convery and S. Cahill, Care revolutions in the making? A comparison of cash-for-care programmes in four European countries., Ageing and Society, 26, (3), 2006, p455 - 474
Responsibility for the Costs of Long-Term Institutional Care: A Comparative Perspective in, editor(s)O'Dell, E. , The Elderly: Law and Policy in Modern Ireland, Dublin, FirstLaw, 2006, pp427 - 449, [Timonen V M]
Irish Social Expenditure in a Comparative International Context in, Epilogue, Dublin, Combat Poverty Agency and the Institute of Public Administration, 2005, [Timonen V M]
Policy Paradigms in the Area of Long-Term Care for Older People: Convergence or Persisting Differences? in, editor(s)Peter Taylor-Gooby , Ideas and Welfare State Reform in Western Europe, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2005, pp30 - 53, [Timonen V M]
New Risks - Are They Still New for the Nordic Welfare States? in, editor(s)Peter Taylor-Gooby , New Risks, New Welfare: The Transformation of the European Welfare State, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp83 - 110, [Timonen V M]
Intressit ja hyvinvointivaltion puolustus: Ay-liike työttömyysturvan leikkauksien vastustajana (Interests and the Defence of the Welfare State: the Trade Union Movement as an Opponent to Cuts in Unemployment Benefits) in, Lamakirja, an anthology on Politics and Policies During the 1990s Recession in Finland, Turku, Kirja-Aurora, 2003, [Timonen V M]
Timonen V M, Irish Social Expenditure in a Comparative International Context, Dublin, Combat Poverty Agency and Institute of Public Administration, 2003
Timonen V M, O'Donnell O., Development of e-government in Ireland: remaining issues and challenges, Administration, 51, (3), 2003, p3 - 20
Timonen V M, Restructuring the Welfare State: Globalisation and Social Policy Reform in Finland and Sweden, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 2003, 1 - 222pp
Timonen V M, McMenamin I., The Future of Care Services in Ireland: Old Answers to New Challenges?, Social Policy and Administration, 36, (1), 2002, p20 - 35
McMenamin I. and Timonen, V., Poland's Health Reform: Politics, Markets and Informal Payments, Journal of Social Policy, 31, (1), 2002, p103 - 118
Timonen V M, What Explains Public Service Restructuring? Evaluating Contending Explanations, Journal of European Public Policy, 8, (1), 2001, p43 - 59
Earning Welfare Citizenship: Welfare State Reform in Finland and Sweden in, editor(s)Peter Taylor-Gooby , Welfare States Under Pressure, London, Thousand Oaks, 2001, pp29 - 51, [Timonen V M]
Timonen V M, A Threat to Social Security? The Impact of EU Membership on the Finnish Welfare State, Journal of European Social Policy, 9, (3), 1999, p253 - 261
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Virpi Timonen & Luciana Lolich, "The Poor Carer": Ambivalent Social Construction of the Home Care Worker in Elder Care Services, Journal of Gerontological Social Work , 2019
Emon, A. and Timonen, V., Graduate attributes: Social constructions and lived experiences of university students in Ireland, Journal of Education Culture and Society, 10, (2), 2019, p133 - 147
Conlon, C., with contributions from V. Timonen and G. Dowling, Supporting parents communicating with children aged 4-9 years about relationships, sexuality and growing up, Dublin, HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme, January, 2018, pi - 106
Scharf, T., Timonen, V., Conlon, C. and Carney, G., Changing Generations - Findings from new research on intergenerational relations in Ireland, Dublin and Galway, Trinity College Dublin and National University of Ireland Galway, April, 2013, 20 pp.
Kamiya, Y., Murphy, C., Savva, G. and Timonen, V., Profile of Community-Dwelling Older People with a Disability and their Caregivers in Ireland, Dublin, The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and the Department of Health and Children, May, 2012
Alan Barrett, George Savva, Virpi Timonen and Rose Anne Kenny (eds), Fifty plus in Ireland 2011: First results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, May, 2011
Kenny, R.A., Whelan, B.J., Cronin, H., Kamiya, Y., Kearney, P., O'Regan, C., Ziegel, M. (authors), Barrett, A., Finucane, C. and Timonen, V. (eds.) , The Design of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing., Dublin, 2010, 135 pages
Pierce, Maria, Fitzgerald, Siobhan and Timonen, Virpi, Summary and Comparison of Key Social Provisions for Older People in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, 2010
Pierce, Maria and Timonen, Virpi, A Discussion Paper on Theories of Ageing and Approaches to Welfare in Ireland, North and South, Dublin & Belfast, CARDI, 2010
Nolan, Anne, Brendan Whelan, Hilary Cronin, Jane Grimson, Yumiko Kamiya, Rose Anne Kenny, Amilcar Moreira, Claire O'Regan and Virpi Timonen, The Development of a Draft Framework for the Collection of Information About the Older Population., Dublin, National Council on Ageing and Older People, 2006, 110 pages
Timonen, Virpi, Martha Doyle and David Prendergast, No Place Like Home: Domiciliary Care Services for Older People in Ireland., Dublin, Liffey Press, 2006, 233 pagespp
Timonen V M, Ireland in low-spending, high-poverty EU club, Poverty Today, 8, 2005
Timonen, Virpi, Celtic Tiger Ireland: How Have the Irish Economy and Society Evolved During the Period of Prosperity?, Special Issue titled 'Reformfaehigkeit and Reformstau - ein europaeischer Vergleich' In: Seidel Foundation 'Berichte und Studien' Series, 45, 2005, p63 - 71
Timonen V M, Evaluation of Homecare Grant Schemes in Ireland, Dublin, Eastern Regional Health Authority, October, 2004
Boyle, R., Humphreys, P.C., O'Donnell, O., O'Riordan, J. and Timonen, V., Changing Local Government: A Review of the Local Government Modernisation Programme., Dublin, Institute of Public Administration, 2003, 178 pages
New Risks in the Finnish and Swedish Welfare States in, editor(s)Ritakallio, Veli-Matti , Riskit, Instituutiot ja Tuotokset (Risks, Institutions and Outcomes) - A Festschrift for Professor Olli Kangas, Turku (Finland), Painosalama, 2003, pp19 - 42, [Timonen, Virpi]
Timonen V M, Supporting Carers - A Social Policy Report, Social Policy Series, Dublin, Comhairle, July, 2002
Timonen, V., O'Donnell, O. and Humphreys, P.C., E-Government and the Decentralisation of Service Delivery, Dublin, Institute of Public Administration, 2002, 125 pages
Timonen V M, Social expenditure - what it is, what it isn't and what it could be, Poverty Today, 56, 2002, p10 - 11
Test, Test TARA Upload2
Research Expertise
Description
Professor Timonen's work has transformed understandings of ageing societies across several inter-connected topics of research and made original contributions to both theory and research methods. 1.) Her original work pertaining to long-term care policies has illuminated the ways in which public, private and informal actors' involvement in care is evolving over time. Her work on this topic is highly-cited both among scholars and in policy debates and is grounded in her earlier research on the politics of welfare state restructuring. Through her work, Professor Timonen has demonstrated the strategies that governments follow in trying to 'square the circle' of expanding demand for care and concerns about costs of care. These include, for instance, the incentivisation of family care inputs, opening of opportunities for private sector operators, and greater expectations of independence and agency on the part of older adults. 2.) Professor Timonen's investigations of family-level practices between different generations have provided transformative insights into how older adults contribute to the maintenance of family solidarity but also make choices that break with established roles. She has illuminated the agentic behaviour of older women in 'undoing gender' through orientation to third-age activities and away from expectations of care, and how such choices are shaped by women's socioeconomic positions. Her original investigations of intergenerational solidarity at societal level have revealed the interconnectedness of public and private solidarities, especially in welfare states such as Ireland that are highly dependent on practices of solidarity at family and community level. 3.) Professor Timonen's work has demonstrated the centrality of social positionalities to both individual and societal level patterns in ageing societies. She has drawn out the significance of social constructions around ethnicity in the production of care and the centrality of gender in shaping family-level care practices. Her work on migrant care workers demonstrates the continued reliance on globally mobile women who are socially constructed as 'suited' to care work that underpins social care regimes in the western world yet remains precarious and undervalued. 4.) Professor Timonen has generated novel theory on how older adults and 'successful' ageing are socially constructed and operationalised by a range of actors, including policy-making processes and commercial interests. She theorises that these actors 'model' old age in ways that are detrimental to the marginalised groups among older adults. Her Model Ageing theory amounts to a transformational critique of paradigms that currently dominate policy making for older adults. 5.) Professor Timonen is a research methodologist who is making Grounded Theory more accessible and usable among a wide range of researchers across substantive fields of research. Her translation of different strands within the Grounded Theory method into a unified re-interpretation has drawn out their underlying commonalities. In totality, these contributions demonstrate transformative inter-linking of substantive research domains, intrepid theorising, and original contributions to research methodology.Projects
- Title
- SoCaTel - Co-creating for better services
- Summary
- The SoCaTel project seeks to improve the accessibility, responsiveness, efficiency, transparency and transferability of social and care services. SoCaTel aims to address gaps in the area of social welfare and social services by introducing a multi- stakeholder platform for the co-creation, and later deployment, of long-term care services. The project will incorporate into its processes the key values of user-centred design, accessibility, transparency, accountability, civic participation and social inclusion. The SoCaTel platform will be designed and conceived through a co-creation process, which will allow and encourage users to interact with ICT in a straightforward way. SoCaTel will address the current lack of coordination among primary and community services, hospitals, and other care providers, in order to make accessing and using LTC services easier for older adults and care professionals. Co-creation gives stakeholders the opportunity to express their needs and to make decisions about how they would like to receive and provide care services. Although technological innovations are an important tool for improving older people's lives, they cannot be imposed. With a co-creation process, citizens have more choice, control and flexibility in using ICT solutions, and they are part of the decision-making process in designing and implementing services. By making the access to social care systems across Europe more transparent, responsive and open to public feedback, the efficiency of the LTC system can be improved.
- Funding Agency
- European Commission
- Date From
- December 2017
- Date To
- February 2021
- Title
- Living and dying with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Population based Analysis of Palliative Needs, Services and Outcomes in non-malignant terminal illness
- Summary
- Lead-PI Prof Hardiman, Co-PIs Dr McQuillan, Profs Normand, Perry, Staines, Timonen
- Funding Agency
- Health Research Board (HRB), Ireland
- Date From
- 2012
- Date To
- 2015
- Title
- Research with parents
- Summary
- This project, commissioned by Ireland's Crisis Pregnancy Programme, focuses on how parents engage with their younger children on issues relating to sexuality. We will explore the factors that inhibit and enable age-appropriate communication between parents and young children aged between 4 and 9 years regarding relationships, sexuality and growing up. Focus groups with parents will be carried out exploring the meanings, practices and processes involved for them as they negotiate the place of information, education and discourses about relationships, sexuality and the body in everyday interaction with their young children. Co-Investigator with PI Dr Catherine Conlon (also of the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin).
- Funding Agency
- Crisis Pregnancy Programme (HSE)
- Date From
- January 2014
- Date To
- December 2014
- Title
- Intergenerational Solidarity and Justice in Ireland
- Summary
- This project interrogates understandings of intergenerational solidarity and justice among four different cohorts in Ireland (1. those emerging into the labour market at present; 2. people at mid-career/family formation stage; 3. recently retired or about to retire; 4. octogenarians), using a qualitative longitudinal design. The project will also communicate the key contours of these understandings to relevant stakeholder organisations and facilitate discourse between them and among the wider public. The emphasis is on eliciting understandings of societal intergenerational justice as shaped by social policies, but perceptions of intergeneratinal justice within families will also be studied. The Principal Investigators are Dr Virpi Timonen (TCD) and Prof Thomas Scharf (NUIG).
- Funding Agency
- Atlantic Philanthropies
- Date From
- June 2011
- Date To
- June 2013
- Title
- Living Independently at Home: Reforms in Organisation and Governance of European Home Care for Elderly and Disabled People
- Summary
- The project will identify how 9 European countries have reformed their home help systems, by identifying the drivers of changes and responses in the organisation, provision, regulation and quality of home care/help. Hypotheses are that cross-national variation in reforms in home care policies 1) influence the involvement of different care sectors and the use of services vs. cash benefits, 2) shape the degree of formalisation/informalisation and the degree of professionalization, and 3) contribute to the quality of care. The study will be based on national legislation and statistics, national and international literature reviews, and on comparable OECD health data. The following countries participate: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Austria, UK and Ireland. The study will provide a timely overview of recent reforms in the organisation and governance of home care systems in 9 European countries, and will elucidate what are the intended and unintended results of the reforms, in particular how reforms have affected quality of care. This project is co-ordinated by Dr Tine Rostgaard, SFI, Denmark. PI for Irish strand of the study is Virpi Timonen, Co-Investigators Martha Doyle & Ciara O'Dwyer, Trinity College Dublin.
- Funding Agency
- Ministère de la santé, de la jeunesse, des sports et de la vie associative (France)
- Date From
- 2010
- Date To
- 2011
- Title
- TILDA - the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing - Social engagement, intergenerational transfers & informal care provided and received by older people
- Summary
- TILDA is a longitudinal study of the older adult(50+) population of Ireland. Using a large nationally representative random sample (8,000) of the older population, TILDA provides a comprehensive picture of the health, social and economic charactertistics of the ageing population in Ireland, and serves as an important resource for the scientific community and policy makers. The Principal Investigator of TILDA is Prof RA Kenny, Medical Gerontology, TCD. Co-Investigator for the Social Strand (Social engagement, social care and intergenerational transfers) is Virpi Timonen, working with Research Fellow Dr Yumiko Kamiya. See www.tilda.tcd.ie
- Date From
- 2006
- Date To
- ongoing
- Title
- Theories of Ageing and Approaches to Welfare in Ireland, North and South
- Summary
- The overall aim of this project is to prepare a discussion paper on theories of ageing and approaches to welfare in Ireland, North and South, consisting of: (1) an overview of the most relevant theories of ageing; (2) an analysis of the construction of ageing in Ireland, North and South; and (3) an analysis of approaches to the welfare of older people in Ireland, North and South. The resulting paper is intended to encourage discussion amongst key stakeholders on the evidence base required for developing appropriate policy and services for the ageing population in Ireland, North and South. The Researcher and Co-Investigator in this project is Dr. Maria Pierce.
- Funding Agency
- CARDI (Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland)
- Date From
- 2010
- Date To
- 2010
- Title
- Grandparents' role in divorced and separated families in Ireland
- Summary
- Divorce and separation impact upon relationships within nuclear and extended families, including relationships between grandparents, the divorced/separated couple and grandchildren. This study seeks to acquire a better understanding of how these inter-generational relationships are affected following divorce/separation. In particular, it seeks to explore some aspects of the experience and practical consequences of family break-up from the perspective of grandparents, a group rarely considered in discussions on divorce/separation. PI Virpi Timonen, Co-Investigators Ciara O'Dwyer and Martha Doyle.
- Funding Agency
- Family Support Agency
- Date From
- May 2008
- Date To
- Dec 2009
- Title
- MILES (Migrant Labour in the Elder Care Sector)
- Summary
- This is a pan-European research network that focuses on migrant care workers employed in the elder care sector. The network is co-ordinated by Dr Leeson and Dr Hoff of the Oxford Institute on Ageing. Irish partner is the Social Policy and Ageing Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin (Virpi Timonen and Martha Doyle).
- Funding Agency
- NORFACE
- Date From
- 2006
- Date To
- 2009
- Title
- The role and future development of the meals-on-wheels service in Ireland
- Summary
- This project involves mapping meals-on-wheels and other community meals organisations in Ireland; in-depth case studies of six different organisations; and a detailed semi-structured interviews and mini nutritional assessments conducted with older people who have recently been referred to the service (and a 6-month follow-up) in order to construct a comprehensive picture of the extent, nature and impact of meals-on-wheels provision to older persons in Ireland. PI Virpi Timonen, Co-investigator Ciara O'Dwyer. Advisor on nutrition components of study was Dr Clare Corish, Dublin Institute of Technology.
- Funding Agency
- National Council on Ageing and Older People
- Date From
- November 2006
- Date To
- November 2007
- Title
- Analysis of Innovative Funding Mechanisms in Homecare of Older People in the Netherlands, the UK and Finland
- Summary
- Research Project Grant. PI Virpi Timonen, co-investigators Suzanne Cahill and Janet Convery.
- Funding Agency
- Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS)
- Date From
- December 2003
- Date To
- October 2004
- Title
- Welfare Reform and the Management of Societal Change
- Summary
- Researcher (under direction of Prof Olli Kangas, University of Turku)in EU-funded Framework Five project. Lead PI for study was Prof Taylor-Gooby of the University of Kent at Canterbury.
- Funding Agency
- EU
- Date From
- 2001
- Date To
- 2004
- Title
- Social Policy and Ageing
- Summary
- Grant from Atlantic Philanthropies for developing research, teaching and policy work in the area of ageing and social policy.
- Funding Agency
- Atlantic Philanthropies
- Date From
- 2005
- Date To
- 2010
- Title
- Generation COVID
- Summary
- A Grounded Theory study of experiences and effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on young adults in Ireland.
- Funding Agency
- Trinity College Dublin COVID-19 research fund
- Date From
- May 2020
- Date To
- May 2021
Recognition
Representations
President, Research Committee on the Sociology of Ageing (RC 11) of the International Sociological Association
Non-executive Director (Board member), Board of St James's Hospital, Dublin [by College nomination and Ministerial appointment]
Director of Postgraduate Teaching and Learning (and member of the School Executive), School of Social Work and Social Policy
Visiting Professor, University of Helsinki (Faculty of Social Sciences)
Collaborator, Centre of Excellence for Care and Ageing, funded by the Academy of Finland
International Editorial Adviser (Editorial Board); Ageing & Society, Cambridge University Press
Director of Research (and member of the School Executive), School of Social Work and Social Policy
Member of the Editorial Board, Journal of Aging Studies
Chairperson, Board sub-committee on Quality, Safety and Risk, St. James's hospital, Dublin
Expert Adviser for the New Zealand Science Challenges national funding programme (Tranche 2: Ageing Well strand)
Adjunct Professor (Docent), Social and Public Policy, University of Jyväskylä, Finland [lifelong appointment]
Executive Committee member, Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (www.tilda.tcd.ie)
Co-Chairperson, Research Committee on Sociology of Ageing (RC11), International Sociological Association (ISA) conference, Yokohama, Japan.
Chairperson of the Translational Research and Policy Implementation sub-committee of TILDA
Theme Champion, the Inclusive Societies research theme
Director, the Social Policy and Ageing Research Centre (SPARC)
Steering Committee member, Trinity Consortium on Ageing
School co-ordinator and examiner for the College Scholarship Examinations in Social Policy
Member of the Steering Committee overseeing the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between Trinity College Dublin and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)
Associate Chairperson, Trinity Consortium on Ageing
Board Member, European Social Policy Association (ESPAnet)
Policy Standing Committee, National Council on Ageing and Older People (replaced in 2009 by the National Office for Older People, Department of Health and Children)
Officer-at-large, Research Committee on Ageing, International Sociological Association
COST EU expert committee on Health and Social Care for Migrants and Ethnic Minorities in Europe
Member of Research Ethics Approval Committee, School of Social Work and Social Policy
Programme Committee Member, ISA World Forum of Sociology 2008 (Barcelona), RC11 (Ageing Research)
Organising committee, Research Committee on Ageing (RC11), World Congress of the International Sociological Association, 2010 (Gothenburg); Program committee for RC11 for the XVIII ISA World Congress of Sociology 2014(Yokohama, Japan). .
Visiting Researcher, National Europe Centre, Australian National University
Member of the Expert Group that was convened, by invitation, to draft the NORFACE ('New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe') Research programme call entitled 'Welfare State Futures'
Programme Coordinator, Research Committee on the Sociology of Ageing (RC11), International Sociological Association, World Forum (Vienna)
Adjunct, Community Wellbeing Research Centre, Social Science Korea project, funded by National Research Foundation of Korea
Guest Professor, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Tampere University (Finland)
Course Director, MSc Social Policy and Practice and MSc Child Protection and Welfare
Awards and Honours
Fellow of Trinity College Dublin
Adjunct, Community wellbeing research centre, Social Science Korea project, funded by National Research Foundation of Korea
Visiting professor, University of Helsinki (Faculty of Social Sciences)
Guest professor, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Tampere University (Finland)
Docent (Adjunct Professor), University of Jyväskylä, Finland, from November 2012- (lifelong appointment)
Visiting Research Fellow, National Europe Centre, Australian National University, Canberra
Collaborator, Centre of Excellence for Care and Ageing, funded by the Academy of Finland
Kone Foundation (Finland) scholarship to carry out doctoral research
Economic and Social Research Council (UK) scholarship to study for the M.Phil. degree at Oxford
Ministry of Education (Finland) scholarship to attend United World College of the Atlantic, Wales
Memberships
European Social Policy Association (ESPAnet), former Board member
International Sociological Association (ISA) Research Committee 11 (Sociology of Ageing)