site-wide search

SomaliNet Forums: Archives

This section is online for reference only. No new content will be added. no deletion either...

Go to Current Forums ...with millions of posts

THE LIFE OF A SOMALI WOMEN IN FINLAND

SomaliNet Forum (Archive): RA'YIGA DADWEYNAHA - Your Opinion: Somalia: Archive (Before Sept. 29, 2000): THE LIFE OF A SOMALI WOMEN IN FINLAND
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message  

QOSLAAYE

Wednesday, September 20, 2000 - 05:26 pm
Dear Reader: This is the kind of life somali women face in the western countries. Read it to believe it.

This paper is based on my PhD research which belongs to fields of comparative religion and medical anthropology. My data has been gathered through ethnographic fieldwork done among Somali women living in the metropolitan area of Finland. The material consists of participant observation and informal discussions in homes, health care center, mosques and a Somali women's group, and interviews.

Somalis are Finland's largest immigrant group of African origin, the largest Muslim group and also the largest refugee group. However, in the Finnish health care Somalis are often considered as "problematic". In this paper I will discuss some aspects of the cultural encounter which may cause the difficulties experienced by the Finnish health care staff as well as by Somali women. I will concentrate on four points:

1) Prejudiced attitudes, fears and lack of knowledge by the Finnish health care workers. Somalis are often seen as a homogenous category and they are believed to behave in a certain way just because they are "Somalis", "Muslims" or "refugees". However, it is important to note everyday negotiations and multiple voices among Somali women.

2) The Finnish health care has been planned for the Finnish culture and those who speak Finnish language. The examples of this include e.g. problems with written information in regard to the oral tradition of Somali culture. Another example is the individualistic emphasis in the Finnish culture and the unfamiliarity with the family as a therapy management group.

3) Concepts of health and illness are culturally constructed. In Somali women's lay theories about illness and healing one can find in addition to biomedical models also elements from African traditions and Islamic medicine. There is ambivalence in illness explanations since also they are under negotiation.

4) A symptom can tell about something else than the actual sickness. We can approach women's symptoms and their illness experiences also through social suffering and sociosomatics. Social suffering of Somali women can transform over somatic symptoms like pain. Women's talk about symptoms and illnesses is at the same time talk about refugeeness and the difficulties in living.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message  

ooyaaye

Thursday, September 21, 2000 - 01:08 am
nin yahow iska seexo waxaana oo kale hala soo
shir tagin
finish joke
you so ugly when you were born. your parents
named you •••• happen

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message  

Saamiya

Thursday, September 21, 2000 - 07:21 am
qoslaaye: don't pay attention, because he is jealous of the way you put your information together. He is one of those loosers who complain, but don't know why.


Continue cotributing

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message  

ARAGTI DHEER

Thursday, September 21, 2000 - 08:40 am
SIR BAAFAKATAY, QOSLAAYE IYO SAAMIYA WAA ISKUQOF OO WAX WALBA OO UUQORO QOSLAAYE ISAGA AYAA INTUU MAGACA SOOBADASHO ISU CAMIRO!!!!!!! WARYAA QOSLAAYE WAXAAD MAGAZIINADA IYO JOORNAALADA KASOO KOOBIYAALEYSAY OOD HADANE ISU CAMIREYSO NAGALATAG, SOOMAALIDA MA WAXAAD UMALEYSAY DAD LADAGI KARO.

GET LIFE LITTLE BOY......

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message  

fatiha

Wednesday, October 04, 2000 - 01:01 am
This was an interesting paper to read. I am happy to hear that somebody has finally taken the initiative and did a research to proof the point that we've being trying to make for the last ten years. I am a Somali woman living in the capital city area and I've often come across similar situations where the health care professionals felt that we were a difficult group to treat. But I've never managed to find out what makes us a problematic group and how do they see as being stubborn patients? You can't make a claim without producing substantial proof to support it!! Qoslaaye, tell us more about your findings and your conclusions as well. I am really interested to know what is your view of the phenomena that you'd extensively researched.

Feel like posting? Pleaase click here for the list of current forums.