Inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in Nunavut: “It's kinda hard for me to try to find the words”
Background: For Inuit, the family unit has always played a central role in life and in survival. Social changes in Inuit communities have resulted in significant transformations to economic, political and cultural aspects of Inuit society. Where the family unit was once the setting for dialogue on f...
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2014
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v73.25070 https://doaj.org/article/0895a9d0b4534a76bcdb3d11606f0832 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0895a9d0b4534a76bcdb3d11606f0832 2023-05-15T15:15:00+02:00 Inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in Nunavut: “It's kinda hard for me to try to find the words” Gwen Healey 2014-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v73.25070 https://doaj.org/article/0895a9d0b4534a76bcdb3d11606f0832 EN eng Taylor & Francis Group http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/download/25070/pdf_1 https://doaj.org/toc/2242-3982 2242-3982 doi:10.3402/ijch.v73.25070 https://doaj.org/article/0895a9d0b4534a76bcdb3d11606f0832 International Journal of Circumpolar Health, Vol 73, Iss 0, Pp 1-7 (2014) Inuit sexual health public health adolescents Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 article 2014 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v73.25070 2022-12-31T07:20:03Z Background: For Inuit, the family unit has always played a central role in life and in survival. Social changes in Inuit communities have resulted in significant transformations to economic, political and cultural aspects of Inuit society. Where the family unit was once the setting for dialogue on family relations and sexuality, this has largely been replaced by teachings from the medical community and/or the school system. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore Inuit parent perspectives on sharing knowledge with teenage children about sexual health and relationships. Method: A qualitative Indigenous knowledge approach was used for this study with a focus on Inuit ways of knowing as described in the Piliriqattigiinniq Community Health Research Partnership Model. Interviews were conducted with 20 individual parents in 3 Nunavut communities in 2011. Parents were asked about whether and how they talk to their children about sexual health and relationships. An analytical approach building on the concept of Iqqaumaqatigiiniq (“all knowing coming into one”), which is similar to “immersion and crystallization,” was used to identify story elements, groupings or themes in the data. The stories shared by parents are honoured, keeping their words intact as often as possible in the presentation of results. Results: Parents shared stories of themselves, family members and observations of the community. Fifteen of 17 mothers in the study reported having experienced sexual abuse as children or adolescents. Parents identified the challenges that they have and continue to experience as a result of forced settlement, family displacement and the transition of Inuit society. They expressed a desire to teach their children about sexual health and relationships and identified the need for emotional support to do this in the wake of the trauma they have experienced. Parents highly valued elders and the knowledge they have about family relationships and childrearing. Conclusion: There are powerful, unresolved healing ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Circumpolar Health International Journal of Circumpolar Health inuit Nunavut Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Nunavut International Journal of Circumpolar Health 73 1 25070 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Inuit sexual health public health adolescents Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 |
spellingShingle |
Inuit sexual health public health adolescents Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Gwen Healey Inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in Nunavut: “It's kinda hard for me to try to find the words” |
topic_facet |
Inuit sexual health public health adolescents Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 |
description |
Background: For Inuit, the family unit has always played a central role in life and in survival. Social changes in Inuit communities have resulted in significant transformations to economic, political and cultural aspects of Inuit society. Where the family unit was once the setting for dialogue on family relations and sexuality, this has largely been replaced by teachings from the medical community and/or the school system. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore Inuit parent perspectives on sharing knowledge with teenage children about sexual health and relationships. Method: A qualitative Indigenous knowledge approach was used for this study with a focus on Inuit ways of knowing as described in the Piliriqattigiinniq Community Health Research Partnership Model. Interviews were conducted with 20 individual parents in 3 Nunavut communities in 2011. Parents were asked about whether and how they talk to their children about sexual health and relationships. An analytical approach building on the concept of Iqqaumaqatigiiniq (“all knowing coming into one”), which is similar to “immersion and crystallization,” was used to identify story elements, groupings or themes in the data. The stories shared by parents are honoured, keeping their words intact as often as possible in the presentation of results. Results: Parents shared stories of themselves, family members and observations of the community. Fifteen of 17 mothers in the study reported having experienced sexual abuse as children or adolescents. Parents identified the challenges that they have and continue to experience as a result of forced settlement, family displacement and the transition of Inuit society. They expressed a desire to teach their children about sexual health and relationships and identified the need for emotional support to do this in the wake of the trauma they have experienced. Parents highly valued elders and the knowledge they have about family relationships and childrearing. Conclusion: There are powerful, unresolved healing ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gwen Healey |
author_facet |
Gwen Healey |
author_sort |
Gwen Healey |
title |
Inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in Nunavut: “It's kinda hard for me to try to find the words” |
title_short |
Inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in Nunavut: “It's kinda hard for me to try to find the words” |
title_full |
Inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in Nunavut: “It's kinda hard for me to try to find the words” |
title_fullStr |
Inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in Nunavut: “It's kinda hard for me to try to find the words” |
title_full_unstemmed |
Inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in Nunavut: “It's kinda hard for me to try to find the words” |
title_sort |
inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in nunavut: “it's kinda hard for me to try to find the words” |
publisher |
Taylor & Francis Group |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v73.25070 https://doaj.org/article/0895a9d0b4534a76bcdb3d11606f0832 |
geographic |
Arctic Nunavut |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Nunavut |
genre |
Arctic Circumpolar Health International Journal of Circumpolar Health inuit Nunavut |
genre_facet |
Arctic Circumpolar Health International Journal of Circumpolar Health inuit Nunavut |
op_source |
International Journal of Circumpolar Health, Vol 73, Iss 0, Pp 1-7 (2014) |
op_relation |
http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/download/25070/pdf_1 https://doaj.org/toc/2242-3982 2242-3982 doi:10.3402/ijch.v73.25070 https://doaj.org/article/0895a9d0b4534a76bcdb3d11606f0832 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v73.25070 |
container_title |
International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
container_volume |
73 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
25070 |
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1766345385609003008 |