Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia.
Department of Global & International Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, British Columbia, V2N 4Z9, Canada.
Soc Sci Med. 2020 Nov;265:113523. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113523. Epub 2020 Nov 16.
Traditional Inuit cultural values and practices are integral to an Inuit understanding of health. We examine the role of sewing in Inuit women's health in the Canadian Arctic in a case study of Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada. An analysis of data collected using semi-structured interviews with 30 Inuit women reveals that sewing contributes to participant's health and the collective health of the community in several ways including: pride and sense of accomplishment; cultural identity; relaxation, decompression, and socialization; and spirituality and healing. As a cultural practice, sewing is about older generations teaching younger generations about their identity, who they are and where they come from. For some participants, sewing is a way through which they express their culture. Sewing brings people together at a time when social isolation is becoming more apparent, and gives women the chance to learn vital, tangible skills that continue to have social, economic, and cultural importance. Sewing is also a form of healing that helps women ease their minds and focus on a challenging and productive task that brings them satisfaction, self-worth, and value. We conclude that sewing is important for cultural continuity, enabling Inuit to both practice and carryon their culture, and contributing positively to individual and the collective health of the community.
传统的因纽特文化价值观和习俗是因纽特人理解健康的重要组成部分。我们通过对加拿大西北地区的乌卢克阿克托克进行案例研究，考察了缝纫在因纽特妇女健康中的作用。对通过对 30 名因纽特妇女进行半结构化访谈收集的数据进行分析，结果表明，缝纫以多种方式促进了参与者的健康和社区的集体健康，包括：自豪感和成就感；文化认同；放松、减压和社交；以及精神和治疗。作为一种文化习俗，缝纫是关于老一辈向年轻一代传授他们的身份、他们是谁以及他们来自哪里。对一些参与者来说，缝纫是他们表达文化的一种方式。缝纫将人们聚集在一起，因为社交隔离变得更加明显，让女性有机会学习重要的、有形的技能，这些技能继续具有社会、经济和文化重要性。缝纫也是一种治疗方式，可以帮助女性放松身心，专注于一项具有挑战性和富有成效的任务，为她们带来满足感、自我价值和价值。我们的结论是，缝纫对于文化的延续很重要，使因纽特人能够实践和传承他们的文化，并对个人和社区的集体健康产生积极影响。
