Aje Carlbom

“Never My Daughters”: A Qualitative Study Regarding Attitude Change Toward Female Genital Cutting Among Ethiopian and Eritrean Families in Sweden

To explore attitudes toward female genital cutting (FGC) in a migration perspective, qualitative interviews were conducted with men and women from Ethiopia and Eritrea in Sweden. We found firm rejection of all forms of FGC and absence of a guiding motive. Informants failed to see any meaning in upholding the custom. We conclude that children of Ethiopian or Eritrean parents resident in Sweden run little risk of being subjected to FGC. A societal structure prepared to deal with suspected cases of FGC with a high level of alertness should be combined with a healthy sceptical attitude toward exaggerations of risk estimates.

Koran reading and negotiation with jinn: strategies to deal with mental ill health among Swedish Somalis

In this paper, we discuss traditional Somali concepts of mental ill health. Qualitative interviews were conducted with some 20 Swedish Somali interviewees about factors causing mental ill health, traditional classification, strategies to deal with mental ill health, and attitudes to the mental health care services in Sweden. Social mobilisation and religious healing are cornerstones of traditional Somali measures to deal with mental suffering. Traditional Somali views of mental ill health stand in stark contrast to classification of mental ill health in the western biomedical model. These views deserve attention since they may have an impact on health-seeking behaviour among Somali immigrants in western countries. Yet a too strong focus on cultural aspects may over-shadow the fact that much mental suffering among Somali migrants must be understood within social, economic, and political contexts.

An Empty Signifier: The Blue and Yellow Islam of Sweden

Abstract This article argues that multiculturalism, as an ideology, is a problem when it comes to understanding Islam and Muslims in contemporary Sweden. The ideology, which is built upon powerful norms that demand “acceptance” and “tolerance” of the Muslim Other, forms an ideational structure that makes Swedish scholars describe all Muslim individuals and groups in terms of Blue-and-Yellow Islam (the colors of the Swedish flag). In the article, with the help of empirical examples mainly from Sweden, it will be shown how the politically good intention to include Muslims and Islam in a new imagined community may have the consequence of silencing social processes among Muslims that would hamper integration. The notion of Blue-and-Yellow Islam has no fixed content. It is an empty signifier used in the ideological struggle of Muslims against Islamophobia. However, scholars use this category in a way that neglects the real problems for Muslims and thus they are creating a situation that has serious consequences for policymaking. The knowledge produced may seem morally/politically correct, but in the end it may be counterproductive for the integration of Islam and Muslims in the Swedish nation-state.

Unintended consequences of gender equality promotion in Swedish multicultural contraceptive counseling: a discourse analysis

In this article, we explore how reproductive health care providers in Sweden, a country often described as one of the most gender-equal countries in the world, incorporate gender equality ideals in multicultural contraceptive counseling. In the tension between gender equality promotion on one hand and respect for cultural diversity and individualized care on the other, we will demonstrate that values of gender equality were often given priority. This is not necessarily undesirable. Nevertheless, our proposal is that the gender equality ideology may inhibit providers’ ability to think differently about issues at stake in contraceptive counseling, which may negatively influence women’s possibilities to obtain adequate support. At the end of the article, we suggest how health care providers’ reflexivity might be used as a working tool for increased awareness about the taken-for-granted cultural norms that exist in their clinical milieu.

Experiences of inequitable care among Afghan mothers surviving near-miss morbidity in Tehran, Iran : a qualitative interview study

BackgroundProviding equitable maternal care to migrants is a seriously challenging task for hosting countries. Iran, the second-most accessed country for refugees from Afghanistan, has achieved maternal health improvement. However, Afghan women with near-miss morbidity faced pre-hospital delays and disparity in maternal care at hospitals. This study explores experiences of maternal care among Afghan women surviving near-miss morbidity to increase insight into healthcare improvements for migrants.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted at university hospitals in Tehran, from April 2013 to May 2014. A total of 11 Afghan women and 4 husbands were interviewed when women recovered from near-miss morbidity that occurred around the childbirth period. Mothers were identified prospectively using the WHO maternal near-miss approach. Thematic analysis was used along with a data-driven approach to organize data guided by the ‘three delays model’ theoretical framework.ResultsMistreatment in the form of discrimination and insufficient medical attention were key experiences. Participants commonly perceived poor women–professional communication and delays in recognizing obstetric complications despite repeated care-seeking. Financial constraints, costly care, lack of health insurance, and low literacy were experienced barriers to accessing care to a lesser extent. Non-somatic consequences of near-miss morbidity affected mothers and families for extended periods.ConclusionsNear-miss survivors’ experiences provided remarkable insights into maternal care of Afghans in Iran. The challenge for the health system and professionals is to provide equitable care with dignity and improve communication skills with caring attitudes toward ethnic minorities. Antenatal visits provide the best and most appropriate opportunities to tackle health illiteracy in Afghan women.

Johann Herder, Early Nineteenth-Century Counter-Enlightenment, and the Common Roots of Multiculturalism and Right-Wing Populism

Light does not nourish men. —Johann Herder1 I. Introduction In The Democratic Contradictions of Multiculturalism, Jens-Martin Eriksen and Frederik Stjernfelt elaborate on the concept of “culturalism.” In Telos 163 (Summer 2013), Eriksen continues to analyze its intricacies under the heading “Culturalism: When the Culture becomes Political Ideology.”2 Horizontal class divisions are out, vertical cultural barriers are in. Seemingly, culture has squeezed out all other concepts. The present essay shall broaden this discussion by asking the question: What is the relation between the Counter-Enlightenment of the early nineteenth century and todays culturalism? Culturalism refers to two opposite and yet surprisingly similar…