Publikationer

Research | Forskning - peer review

Certain Greenlandic popular music artists use the Greenlandic nation brand as a co-brand for their music when attempting to gain attention on the international music mar- ket. By examining various strategies for co-branding music together with the Greenlandic nation, this article discusses how the t… Certain Greenlandic popular music artists use the Greenlandic nation brand as a co-brand for their music when attempting to gain attention on the international music mar- ket. By examining various strategies for co-branding music together with the Greenlandic nation, this article discusses how the two bands Nive Nielsen and the Deer Children, and Nanook, articulate connections between their music, and Greenland and the Arctic, through narratives, symbols and sounds. Using existing narratives and stereotypes means acting within existing discursive fields, as well as the expectations of international music audiences, and though this may open up new opportunities for the artist, it may also limit the artist’s agency, because the artist may then be expected to act in accordance with these expectations. But in terms of changing the Greenlandic nation brand image, which is very much caught up in narratives from the past, co-branding Greenland and modern popular music could be a strategy with great potential. Læs mere

Communication | Formidling

E-bogen om International Økonomi, niveau B er mit forsøg på at gøre pensum lidt mere levende. Den indeholder alle mine egne undervisningsvideoer og noter & andre videoer og podcast. Forhåbentlig kan du gøre brug af den - enten under hele din uddannelse eller som et rigtigt godt supplement til din… E-bogen om International Økonomi, niveau B er mit forsøg på at gøre pensum lidt mere levende. Den indeholder alle mine egne undervisningsvideoer og noter & andre videoer og podcast. Forhåbentlig kan du gøre brug af den - enten under hele din uddannelse eller som et rigtigt godt supplement til din eksamensforberedelse. Læs mere

Communication | Formidling

E-bog til dig der lige har fået din første Mac - og som gerne vil blive bedre til at bruge den.

Research | Forskning - peer review

The social worker profession in Greenland has to some extent been overlooked in Greenlandic social research the last 50 years. Perhaps it is because the professionals have not had a voice in the social political debate, or it may be due to the fact that the majority of social research conducted in G… The social worker profession in Greenland has to some extent been overlooked in Greenlandic social research the last 50 years. Perhaps it is because the professionals have not had a voice in the social political debate, or it may be due to the fact that the majority of social research conducted in Greenland has a traditional approach to research as an objectifying activity. To counter-act these hypotheses, this research project is inspired by the work of Paulo Freire, modern Marxism, and critical theory. An analysis of how current working conditions and structures disempower the possibility of doing what social workers in Greenland view as good social work is followed by a discussion of how we have designed this study as a participatory action research project. Participation is about inviting social workers to collaborate with us during the project - a process we believe will result in democratic sustainable research. Moving from problem identification via participatory collaboration and on to problem solving through the transformative methodologies of focus groups and workshops, the empirical findings will guide the next steps of the research process towards creating a better understanding of social workers’ working conditions. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

Objective: To review the context of food insecurity in Greenlandic children, to review and compare the outcomes related to food insecurity in Greenlandic children, in other Arctic child populations and in other western societies, and to explore the measure used by the Health Behaviour in School-aged… Objective: To review the context of food insecurity in Greenlandic children, to review and compare the outcomes related to food insecurity in Greenlandic children, in other Arctic child populations and in other western societies, and to explore the measure used by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Design: The study includes literature reviews, focus group interviews with children and analyses of data from the HBSC study. HBSC is an international cross-national school-based survey on child and adolescent health and health behaviour in the age groups 11, 13 and 15 years and performed in more than 40 countries. The item on food insecurity is “Some young people go to school or to bed hungry because there is not enough food in the home. How often does this happen to you?” (with the response options: “Always”, “Often”, “Sometimes”, or “Never”). Results: The context to food security among Inuit in Arctic regions was found to be very similar and connected to a westernization of the diet and contamination of the traditional diet. The major challenges are contamination, economic access to healthy food and socio-demographic differences in having a healthy diet. The literature on outcomes related to food insecurity in children in Western societies was reviewed and grouped based on 8 domains. Using data from the Greenlandic HBSC data from 2010, the item on food security showed negative associations on central items in all these domains. Focus group interviews with children revealed face and content validity of the HBSC item. Conclusion: Triangulation of the above-mentioned findings indicates that the HBSC measure of food shortage is a reliable indicator of food insecurity in Greenlandic schoolchildren. However, more research is needed, especially on explanatory and mediating factors. Læs mere

Research | Forskning

Artiklen viser ved hjælp af et analyseeksempel fra et ph.d.-projekt, hvordan professionel praksis på hospital overser patienters og pårørendes egne bestræbelser på at få livet med sygdom til at hænge sammen, og hvilke problemer det giver dem. Udelukkelsen af denne viden medfører mangelfuld støtte ti… Artiklen viser ved hjælp af et analyseeksempel fra et ph.d.-projekt, hvordan professionel praksis på hospital overser patienters og pårørendes egne bestræbelser på at få livet med sygdom til at hænge sammen, og hvilke problemer det giver dem. Udelukkelsen af denne viden medfører mangelfuld støtte til patienter i sundhedsvæsenet. Læs mere

Communication | Formidling

Artiklen formidler et interview med den tidligere økonoma ved Qaqortoq Sygehus, Lena P. Fisker, som indførte Nyt Nordisk Køkken for Mange. Det betød sundere, overvejende økologisk, og mere velsmagende mad til patienterne, brug af lokale råvarer og et meningsfuldt arbejde for de ansatte i køkkenet.

Research | Forskning - peer review

Artiklen beskriver tre aspekter ved social, kropslig og rumslig læring og belyser disse ud fra data fra MATU projektet i Grønland.

Research | Forskning - peer review

I denne artikel beskriver vi den lokale befolknings skabelsen af et fredsområde (Space for Peace) midt i borgerkrigen på øen Mindanao i Filippinerne. Fredsopbygning er en social læringsproces, der omfatter en transformation og restoration af det social-økologiske system, der omfatter såvel det spiri… I denne artikel beskriver vi den lokale befolknings skabelsen af et fredsområde (Space for Peace) midt i borgerkrigen på øen Mindanao i Filippinerne. Fredsopbygning er en social læringsproces, der omfatter en transformation og restoration af det social-økologiske system, der omfatter såvel det spirituelle, det diskursive, det sociale, og fordelingen af materielle ressourcer. Det sociale aspekt er dermed blot ét element i denne proces – og det argumenteres derfor for at denne læringsproces omfatter langt mere end blot det sociale. Fredsopbygningen er en kontinuerlig læreproces, som forener folk i fælles respekt for mangfoldighed. Det fælles grundlag for denne respekt findes i den fælleshed som de tre grupper, der lever sammen i Mindanao, lumads, muslimer og katolikker, har fundet igennem lighederne i deres religioners værdier. Religionen forener på denne måde – men giver derved samtidigt rum for respekten for diversiteten. Efter analysen sammenlignes fredsprocessen med Magis’ teori om social resiliens og Ungars teori om den social-økologiske indlejring af den individuelle resiliens. Det konkluderes, at fredsopbygning i Space for Peace er bygget op omkring en helheds- eller systemforståelse, der omfatter diskursive, sociale og materielle komponenter; en stærk religiøs tro, som forener folk i stedet at adskille dem i gensidigt fjendtlige grupper; og en socialt praktiseret respekt for mangfoldighed. Disse tre aspekter kan bidrage til yderligere udvikling af vores forståelse af social og individuel modstandskraft, ved at bygge videre på Magis’ og Ungars teorier. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

Artiklen præsenterer resultaterne af en undersøgelse af ældre menneskers fortællinger om værdier og resiliens - i Paamiut i Grønland.

Research | Forskning - peer review

Artiklen præsenterer resultaterne af en undersøgelse af unges fortællinger om resiliens - i Paamiut i Grønland.

Research | Forskning

Rhodonellum psychrophilum GCM71(T), isolated from the cold and alkaline submarine ikaite columns in the Ikka Fjord in Greenland, displays optimal growth at 5 to 10°C and pH 10. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this strain, which may provide insight into the mechanisms of adaptation to th… Rhodonellum psychrophilum GCM71(T), isolated from the cold and alkaline submarine ikaite columns in the Ikka Fjord in Greenland, displays optimal growth at 5 to 10°C and pH 10. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this strain, which may provide insight into the mechanisms of adaptation to these extreme conditions. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

Reading Material Culture in the North Atlantic: Traditional wooden boxes as intercultural objects

This article explores intercultural links between the coastal communities of the North Atlantic region by discussing the cultural and social history of Norwegian objects displayed in regional heritage collections in Orkney and Shetland. The relationship between Norway and the Northern Isles of Scotl… This article explores intercultural links between the coastal communities of the North Atlantic region by discussing the cultural and social history of Norwegian objects displayed in regional heritage collections in Orkney and Shetland. The relationship between Norway and the Northern Isles of Scotland during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, especially trading links, is considered using the bentwood box as a way of accessing both tangible and intangible knowledge. Different types of traditional wooden boxes from Shetland, Orkney, Norway, and Iceland are compared using a microhistorical approach, which enables us to consider Norway and Scotland both as individual “ethno-territories” and as part of continuously changing networks of social and cultural contact across the North Atlantic. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

Background: Smoking-related illnesses, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and lung cancer, are common in Greenland. Factors such as age, gender, cigarette use, restricted smoking at home and socio-economic determinants are well-known predictors for smoking and smok… Background: Smoking-related illnesses, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and lung cancer, are common in Greenland. Factors such as age, gender, cigarette use, restricted smoking at home and socio-economic determinants are well-known predictors for smoking and smoking cessation. In 2005, 66% of the adult population in were Greenland smokers, despite widespread smoking cessation campaigns. It is therefore imperative to identify the factors that influence the low levels of smoking cessation to be able to offer cessation interventions of high quality. Aim: To develop knowledge about how smoking forms an incorporated part of a social and cultural context in the daily lives of unskilled residents of a small town in northern Greenland. Design: An ethnographic field study was carried out in 2010, including participant observation, informal conversation with health professionals and semi-structured interviews with 4 smokers (2 women and 2 men). Data were analysed with a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. Results: All informants were daily smokers. During work hours, they smoked fewer cigarettes due to control policy as well as having something to do. At home, they smoke more during leisure time. Having time on one's hands can be a factor in smokers remaining as smokers. It appears that smokers seem to consider themselves to be stigmatised. This may be one reason for wanting to stop smoking. Smokers ask how to quit and also ask for help to give up smoking with regard to medical treatment for withdrawal symptoms. Serious illness and pregnancy both appear to be triggers to consider giving up smoking. Severe withdrawal symptoms and lack of knowledge about how to give up smoking are barriers to participants achieving their goal. Conclusion: Prevention initiatives should be targeted at all smokers and a smoking cessation service should be developed, where smokers are supervised and receive medical treatment for withdrawal symptoms. Læs mere

Research | Forskning

Background: The Greenlandic Healthcare Reform (2010) required improved quality of services for health promotion, prevention of infectious and lifestyle diseases, family nursing and evidence-based clinical nursing. Aim. To investigate current nursing practice in Greenland and to identify whether it m… Background: The Greenlandic Healthcare Reform (2010) required improved quality of services for health promotion, prevention of infectious and lifestyle diseases, family nursing and evidence-based clinical nursing. Aim. To investigate current nursing practice in Greenland and to identify whether it meets the requirements of healthcare reform. Design. This ethnographic study utilised documentary analysis, participant observation and qualitative interviewing carried out in remote areas of Greenland during 2011-2012. Eight registered nurses, four women and four men, aged between 35 and 55, participated in this study. Four were working at healthcare centres in towns and four were working at nursing stations in villages. The nurses were educated in Greenland or a Nordic country and had been practicing nursing for at least 2 years in an Arctic region. They were observed for 15 days, and subsequently interviewed. Interviews included in-depth questioning, based on emerging outcomes from observation. Interviews were recorded and transcribed; they were analysed within a phenomenologicalhermeneutic approach. Results. Nurses in rural and remote areas navigate their health promotion and preventive work with conflict between health strategies and everyday realities, where unpredictable tasks often lead to prioritisation of urgent, acute work. There is interaction between personal and professional skills. Everyday life is characterised by opportunities and challenges in the grey areas, namely nursing, medical and social work. Conclusion. The nature of nursing practice in rural and remote Greenland is characterised by a high degree of variability and complexity, with a requirement for a wide range of knowledge and skills. Nurses need to be better prepared with regard to acute medical care, preventive care, social work, humanistic approaches and information technology to implement the ideology of health strategies. Læs mere

Communication | Formidling

Magasinet Europa sætter i denne e-bog fokus på Grønland og en række europa- og udenrigspolitiske problemstillinger i relation til verdens største ø.

Research | Forskning

This dissertation concerns childbirth and its position within the Greenlandic society, taking a holistic health promotional view of the perinatal period and focusing on the importance of the women, the children, their families and the local community as equal pieces of a whole. The aim of the disse… This dissertation concerns childbirth and its position within the Greenlandic society, taking a holistic health promotional view of the perinatal period and focusing on the importance of the women, the children, their families and the local community as equal pieces of a whole. The aim of the dissertation is to present new concepts and knowledge concerning the health of the perinatal family in Greenland. It seeks to present childbirth and its position within the Greenlandic society and to link the changes in choice related to birth and place of birth with the concepts of family, attitude and community structure. It looks holistically at the place of birth with focus on the issue of support during the perinatal period. It draws on statistical, historical, anthropological, biophysical and cultural data within the context of perinatal health in Greenland. The dissertation is comprised of four studies and uses multidisciplinary methods including literature studies, narrative interviews and focus groups in the collection of data. Ethnographic content analysis, cultural resiliency, storytelling and narrative theory are used as the theoretical bases and analysis tools. The mode of conducting focus groups and interviews was based on the principles in the Helsinki Declaration. Over an eight-year period from 2003 to 2011, literature studies, focus groups and individual interviews were conducted. Two literature studies were carried out and empirical data was collected at four sites in Greenland: Nuuk, Ilulissat, Sisimiut and Tasiilaq. Data included seven focus groups with 33 participants, supplemented with 18 individual interviews of women, fathers and Culture Bearers. Post-colonially birth was considered to be a personal matter for women and is therefore a lack of information on childbirth in Greenland. Perinatal policies and guidelines are presented to the communities by policymakers, and officials, but seldom negotiated with the women and communities before implementation. The perinatal family’s concepts of safety are often connected directly to access to family and community. Family is perceived as security, and lack of family support and network as insecurity. The concept of responsibility to family and community is culturally specific and connected to the immediate family, extended family and kin. There is a cultural room for birth in Greenland, where the health of the perinatal family lies in their ability to strengthen the bonds within the families and kinships and community networks. Greenlandic families have risen to the challenges engendered by global economic development and modernization of their society. The communities, families and women of the study perceived themselves as the bearers of their children; the fathers considered themselves to be the artisans and caregivers for their family; the community, including the extended family, deemed an important support network for the families. Læs mere