I hold a doctoral degree in cross-cultural and Arctic studies from the University of Copenhagen. My main research and teaching is within the field of linguistic and cultural anthropology, and intercultural communication and management. My research focuses on interconnectedness between linguistic behavior and language ideologies. Combining ethnographic methods with interactional sociolinguistics and discourse analysis, I am interested in understanding ways language ideologies shape and organize communication, cognition, social identities and group belongings. My present research is within the emerging field of cognitive ethnography and Human health, and focuses on communication, cognition, and competence development in the Danish healthcare system: how micro-skills interventions are implemented and how they are adapted into practice.
In this dissertation I describe, analyze and compare the complex and multifaceted dynamics of tal... more In this dissertation I describe, analyze and compare the complex and multifaceted dynamics of talk – language choice and code-switching – in these two villages, focusing on the link between language and identity and on the role of language ideologies in the enactment of this link and illuminating the relationship between social structures and forms of talk. My work is grounded in personal empirical records achieved during my fieldwork in the villages – in 2003 and 2005 in Chukotka and in 2007 in Alaska. The analysis draws on methodologies of ethnographic and (to a lesser degree) interactional sociolinguistics, taking as a point of departure Bloom and Gumperz’s (1972) distinction between situational and metaphorical switching. The analysis shows that language use and identities are best understood when contextualized on both micro- and macro-social levels.
This study puts CSY-Russian and CAY-English contacts into a comparative perspective and discusses... more This study puts CSY-Russian and CAY-English contacts into a comparative perspective and discusses different linguistic and non-linguistic (social, political, demographical, etc.) factors that have influenced the linguistic outcome of these contacts. The discussion is based upon the analytical framework proposed by Thomason and Kaufman (1988) and the principle that socio-linguistic constraints are more important for the study of language contact and language change than are linguistic constraints. It argues for the positive applicability of Thomason and Kaufman’s theoretical model, yet emphasises that some specific historical circumstances of the Bering Strait have had an effect that is not entirely predictable by their model.
Background: Approximately one-third of patient appointments in Danish health care result in failu... more Background: Approximately one-third of patient appointments in Danish health care result in failures, leading to patient risk and sizable resource waste. Existing interventions to alleviate no-shows often target the patients. The underlying reason behind these interventions is a view that attendance or nonattendance is solely the patient's problem. However, these interventions often prove to be ineffective and can perpetuate social biases and health inequalities, leaving behind patients who are more vulnerable or disadvantaged (in terms of social, economical, and linguistic factors, etc). A more holistic understanding of no-shows is needed to optimize processes, reduce waste, and support patients who are vulnerable. Objective: This study aims to gain a deep and more comprehensive understanding of the causes, mechanisms, and recurring patterns and elements contributing to nonattendance at Danish hospitals in the Region of Southern Denmark. It emphasizes the patient perspective and analyzes the relational and organizational processes surrounding no-shows in health care. In addition, the study aims to identify effective communicative strategies and organizational processes that can support the development and implementation of successful interventions. Methods: The study uses mixed quantitative-qualitative methods, encompassing 4 analytical projects focusing on nonattendance patterns, patient knowledge and behavior, the management of hospital appointments, and in situ communication. To address the complexity of no-shows in health care, the study incorporates various data sources. The quantitative data sources include the electronic patient records, Danish central registries, Danish National Patient Registry, and Register of Medicinal Product Statistics. Baseline characteristics of patients at different levels are compared using chi-square tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The qualitative studies involve observational data, individual semistructured interviews with patients and practitioners, and video recordings of patient consultations. Results: This paper presents the protocol of the study, which was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation in July 2022. Recruitment started in February 2023. It is anticipated that the quantitative data analysis will be completed by the end of September
Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 2024
BJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to conduct and evaluate the Blended Learning communication sk... more BJECTIVES The aim of this study was to conduct and evaluate the Blended Learning communication skills training program. The key objective was to investigate (i) how clinical intervention studies can be designed to include cognitive, organizational, and interactive processes, and (ii) how researchers and practitioners could work with integrated methods to support the desired change. METHODS The method combined design and implementation of a 12-week Blended Learning communication skills training program based on the Calgary-Cambridge Guide. The training was implemented in a patient clinic at a Danish university hospital and targeted all healthcare professionals at the clinic. Cognitive ethnography was used to document and evaluate healthcare professionals’ implementation and individual competency development, and support the design of in-situ simulation training scenarios. RESULTS Thirteen participants completed the program. The synergy within the teams, as well as the opportunities for participants to coordinate, share, discuss, and reflect on the received knowledge with a colleague or on-site researcher, affected learning positively. The knowledge transfer process was affected by negative feedback loops, such as time shortages, issues with concept development and transfer, disjuncture between the expectations of participants and instructors of the overall course structure, as well as participant insecurity and a gradual loss of motivation and compliance. CONCLUSION We propose a novel 3-step model for clinical interventions based on our findings and literature review. This model will effectively support the implementation of educational interventions in health care by narrowing the theory-practice gap. It will also stimulate desired change in individual behavior and organizational culture over time. Furthermore, it will work for the benefit of the clinic and may be more
Discourses surrounding migration and integration often see language, and in particular the knowle... more Discourses surrounding migration and integration often see language, and in particular the knowledge of the native language, as a crucial barrier to minorities’ access to healthcare and welfare benefits, equal healthcare treatment, social integration, and psychological wellbeing. Using methods of ethnographic and interactional sociolinguistic and conversational analysis our project investigates how healthcare and welfare professionals and Greenlandic patients define, interpret and manage communication and language inequalities in face-to-face encounters. What are the practical, cognitive, psychological and social consequences of “miscommunication” for the Danish Greenlanders? We examine four distinct aspects of communication: conversational strategies, non-verbal behavior, linguistic insecurity, and attitudes. Our aim is to understand the entire communicative circuit (i.e. channels by which information is transmitted), developing on our idea of “affective language economies of health”.
Discourses surrounding migration and integration often see language, and in particular the knowle... more Discourses surrounding migration and integration often see language, and in particular the knowledge of the native language, as a crucial barrier to minorities' access to healthcare and welfare benefits, equal healthcare treatment, social integration, and psychological wellbeing. Using methods of ethnographic and interactional sociolinguistic and conversational analysis our project investigates how healthcare and welfare professionals and Greenlandic patients define, interpret and manage communication and language inequalities in face-to-face encounters. What are the practical, cognitive, psychological and social consequences of "miscommunication" for the Danish Greenlanders? We examine four distinct aspects of communication: conversational strategies, non-verbal behavior, linguistic insecurity, and attitudes. Our aim is to understand the entire communicative circuit (i.e. channels by which information is transmitted), developing on our idea of "affective language economies of health".
CULTMIND (The Center for Culture and the Mind Blog), 2023
During Nunamed 2022, three distinct topics emerged, when approaching the mental health and wellbe... more During Nunamed 2022, three distinct topics emerged, when approaching the mental health and wellbeing of the Arctic communities: (1) fears, emotions and affects, (2) the prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses, and (3) sexual assault, violence, and suicide attempts. All three increased during the pandemic, even though the virus was not very widespread in the Arctic, and Greenland managed particularly well to control the pandemic, while the imposed social isolation measures were limited. TThe following are some of my reflections on Nunamed 2022. They mainly revolve around two questions: ‘What was the psychological effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Inuit communities?’ and ‘How do we address these without Eurocentrism and focusing on damage-culture?’. I will also address the 'problem of the “silent culture” (in Danish, tavshedskulturen)', scrutinizing the prevailing contradictory views of the ‘Inuit culture’ as both the key protective factor and a major obstacle to heathier life in the Arctic. I argue that western-centric idea of silent culture and the essentializing culture-focused research are both problematic, nor do they shake the very fundamental assumption: that western ideas are the only rational ones and the only ideas which can make sense of the world, of reality, of social life and of human beings.
In this article we take a closer look at post-Soviet identity and 'belonging' within the Indigeno... more In this article we take a closer look at post-Soviet identity and 'belonging' within the Indigenous communities in Chukotka, the Russian Far East. During the Soviet era, the Soviet identity was glorified, whereas local ways of life, languages and the ethnic identities of Indigenous peoples were suppressed and stimatized. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the entire region sank into a severe economic and ideological crisis, forcing the Indigenous people to return to traditional ways of surviving, stimulating their interest in their ethnic roots, alternative spiritual values and new identities. Based on own empirical material, we analyse facets and practices of belonging among those who identify as Yupik and are related to Inuit in Greenland. Relying on Ortega's notion of hometactics, we focus on activities-the use of certain words and amulets in homes, consumption of certain foods, and performance of sacred rituals and songs associated with the past-that forge a sense of familiarity and belonging in everyday spaces for the Yupik people, showing how Yupik identity is constructed, enacted, and attributed meaning in interaction and everyday life.
Background: Approximately one third of patient appointments in Health Care fails. Failed appointm... more Background: Approximately one third of patient appointments in Health Care fails. Failed appointments put patients at risk, and they create a sizeable “waste” of resources. Most interventions in health care target the patient. They do not always work and may lead to social biases and more health inequality. A more holistic understanding of no-shows at hospital appointments would optimize processes and reduce waste, and it will support for particularly vulnerable patients. Objectives: The study seeks to provide a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of why (and how) patients do not show up for hospital appointments by involving the patient perspective and analysing the relational and organizational processes around no-shows in health care. It also aims to identify interactional strategies and organizational processes that work well, to support an appropriate implementation effort. Methods: The project uses mixed quantitative-qualitative methods. It addresses structural, relational, and pragmatic dimensions of failed hospital appointments in the Region of Southern Denmark through 4 analytical projects: 1) analysis of non-attendance patterns based on a regional patient population, 2) analysis of patient knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour, 3) analysis of the management of hospital agreements, and 4) in-situ (mis)communication. Chi2 and Kruskal-Wallis tests are used to compare the baseline characteristics of the patients across different levels. The three qualitative studies will share a common data pool consisting of ethnographic observational data, individual interviews with patients and practitioners, questionnaires regarding patients’ satisfaction with consultations, and video recordings of patient consultations. Both the traditional ethnographic method and cognitive video ethnography will be used. Results: This paper describes the protocol of the study. As of January 2023, the study was registered with The Danish Data Protection Agency (Registry ID: 22/54791), and with The Open Patient Data Explorative Network (Registry ID: OP_1800). The recruitment commenced in February 2023. It is anticipated that the quantitative data analysis will be complete by the end of august 2023, with the qualitative investigation beginning September 2023, and the first study findings available by the end of 2024. Conclusions: The many failures indicate that there is a lack of an offer within the healthcare system that can accommodate the vulnerable patients. To design effective interventions, the description and categorization of failures at hospital appointments must be supplemented by a more qualitative approach and solid ethnographic data that provides insights into the organizational and communicative processes leading to hospital errors and appointment failures. Achieving more comprehensive knowledge about the causes of failed patient appointments will have major practical benefits, contributing to a better, safer and more coherent treatment in health care.
Using an ethnography of speaking approach, this article discusses the ideological aspects of lang... more Using an ethnography of speaking approach, this article discusses the ideological aspects of language practices, as they are played out in a traditional Yupik (Eskimo) village in Chukotka, in the Far East of the Russian Federation. The article shows how local lin guistic practices and language choices of individual speakers inter sect with purist language ideologies, which frame certain beliefs about languages and ways of speaking, making them appear more normal and appropriate than others. Placing the "work of speaking" within the context of crosscultural dynamics and purist language economies, this article challenges the basic assumption of linguistic purism about language and identity being intertwined.
In order to answer the critical question of “how (and whether) communities can sustain continued ... more In order to answer the critical question of “how (and whether) communities can sustain continued use of their languages in the future,” this article addresses the subject of linguistic “sustainability” by comparing linguistic situations in two geographically and politically divided Yupik communities with dissimilar degrees of language maintenance: the predominantly Russian-speaking village of Novoe Chaplino in the Russian Far East and the still bilingual (English-Yupik) village of Gambell on St. Lawrence Island in the United States. Addressing the question of sustainability from “within” – that is, looking at what “sustainability” looks like and how it works on the ground – the article discusses the place of language ideologies in this process, advocating for a move away from purists' conceptualisation of language to more experimental practices and “bilingual games.”
Introduction to a ph.d. thesis, in which I describe, analyze and compare the complex and multifac... more Introduction to a ph.d. thesis, in which I describe, analyze and compare the complex and multifaceted dynamics of talk in two villages, situated on the opposite sides of the international Russian-American border. The dissertation focuses on the link between language and identity and on the role of language ideologies in the enactment of this link, illuminating the relationship between social structures and forms of talk.
In studies of language choice and minority language shift and maintenance, attention is frequentl... more In studies of language choice and minority language shift and maintenance, attention is frequently given to factors other than emotions: social context of contact, language politics, linguistic competence and attitudes, educational policies, and political agendas in a society. Yet human language is ideologically saturated, aesthetically experienced empirical phenomena, characterized by complex dynamics and linked to group and personal identities, morality, aesthetics, and epistemology. While negative moral emotions (e.g., shame) may lead people to abandon their first language, heritage languages may still be perceived as “more emotional,” and their loss and maintenance is a deeply emotional matter. Drawing on Pavlenko, Cavanaugh, and Ahmed, I discuss the role of emotion-related factors—affective repertoires and perceived language emotionality—in language choice of native Chukotkan parents, as a way of understanding human interactivity and the potential of the local environment for children’s acquisition of their heritage languages. Perceived language emotionality, I argue, is an important yet often overlooked aspect of heritage language sustainability and learning. The focus of this article is not on how bodies are transformed into objects of emotions (e.g., “the shamed one”), but on interplay between emotions and multilingual phenomena: how language and wordings are used to move people, to produce affects, attachments, equalities, and authenticities.
Alaska Journal of Anthropology vol. 19, no. 1&2 (2021), 2021
This article casts light on the last segment of Knud Rasmussen’s “grand expedition,” his trip to ... more This article casts light on the last segment of Knud Rasmussen’s “grand expedition,” his trip to Chukotka, in the Russian Far East, in September 1924. He spent somewhere between 18 and 48 hours in Chukotka before he was deported back to Alaska, and it is doubtful that he was able to bring any significant local objects back with him. Yet the Fifth Thule Expedition’s Siberian Collection at the National Museum of Denmark includes about 1,000 items. Most of these objects were purchased by Rasmussen after his return and donated to the museum as an extension of the Fifth Thule work. The article discusses the significance of Rasmussen’s trip to Chukotka and the origin of the expedition’s Siberian collection. It is also an attempt to challenge our traditional understanding of an “expedition” as a purposeful journey with a definitive beginning and end.
In this dissertation I describe, analyze and compare the complex and multifaceted dynamics of tal... more In this dissertation I describe, analyze and compare the complex and multifaceted dynamics of talk – language choice and code-switching – in these two villages, focusing on the link between language and identity and on the role of language ideologies in the enactment of this link and illuminating the relationship between social structures and forms of talk. My work is grounded in personal empirical records achieved during my fieldwork in the villages – in 2003 and 2005 in Chukotka and in 2007 in Alaska. The analysis draws on methodologies of ethnographic and (to a lesser degree) interactional sociolinguistics, taking as a point of departure Bloom and Gumperz’s (1972) distinction between situational and metaphorical switching. The analysis shows that language use and identities are best understood when contextualized on both micro- and macro-social levels.
This study puts CSY-Russian and CAY-English contacts into a comparative perspective and discusses... more This study puts CSY-Russian and CAY-English contacts into a comparative perspective and discusses different linguistic and non-linguistic (social, political, demographical, etc.) factors that have influenced the linguistic outcome of these contacts. The discussion is based upon the analytical framework proposed by Thomason and Kaufman (1988) and the principle that socio-linguistic constraints are more important for the study of language contact and language change than are linguistic constraints. It argues for the positive applicability of Thomason and Kaufman’s theoretical model, yet emphasises that some specific historical circumstances of the Bering Strait have had an effect that is not entirely predictable by their model.
Background: Approximately one-third of patient appointments in Danish health care result in failu... more Background: Approximately one-third of patient appointments in Danish health care result in failures, leading to patient risk and sizable resource waste. Existing interventions to alleviate no-shows often target the patients. The underlying reason behind these interventions is a view that attendance or nonattendance is solely the patient's problem. However, these interventions often prove to be ineffective and can perpetuate social biases and health inequalities, leaving behind patients who are more vulnerable or disadvantaged (in terms of social, economical, and linguistic factors, etc). A more holistic understanding of no-shows is needed to optimize processes, reduce waste, and support patients who are vulnerable. Objective: This study aims to gain a deep and more comprehensive understanding of the causes, mechanisms, and recurring patterns and elements contributing to nonattendance at Danish hospitals in the Region of Southern Denmark. It emphasizes the patient perspective and analyzes the relational and organizational processes surrounding no-shows in health care. In addition, the study aims to identify effective communicative strategies and organizational processes that can support the development and implementation of successful interventions. Methods: The study uses mixed quantitative-qualitative methods, encompassing 4 analytical projects focusing on nonattendance patterns, patient knowledge and behavior, the management of hospital appointments, and in situ communication. To address the complexity of no-shows in health care, the study incorporates various data sources. The quantitative data sources include the electronic patient records, Danish central registries, Danish National Patient Registry, and Register of Medicinal Product Statistics. Baseline characteristics of patients at different levels are compared using chi-square tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The qualitative studies involve observational data, individual semistructured interviews with patients and practitioners, and video recordings of patient consultations. Results: This paper presents the protocol of the study, which was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation in July 2022. Recruitment started in February 2023. It is anticipated that the quantitative data analysis will be completed by the end of September
Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 2024
BJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to conduct and evaluate the Blended Learning communication sk... more BJECTIVES The aim of this study was to conduct and evaluate the Blended Learning communication skills training program. The key objective was to investigate (i) how clinical intervention studies can be designed to include cognitive, organizational, and interactive processes, and (ii) how researchers and practitioners could work with integrated methods to support the desired change. METHODS The method combined design and implementation of a 12-week Blended Learning communication skills training program based on the Calgary-Cambridge Guide. The training was implemented in a patient clinic at a Danish university hospital and targeted all healthcare professionals at the clinic. Cognitive ethnography was used to document and evaluate healthcare professionals’ implementation and individual competency development, and support the design of in-situ simulation training scenarios. RESULTS Thirteen participants completed the program. The synergy within the teams, as well as the opportunities for participants to coordinate, share, discuss, and reflect on the received knowledge with a colleague or on-site researcher, affected learning positively. The knowledge transfer process was affected by negative feedback loops, such as time shortages, issues with concept development and transfer, disjuncture between the expectations of participants and instructors of the overall course structure, as well as participant insecurity and a gradual loss of motivation and compliance. CONCLUSION We propose a novel 3-step model for clinical interventions based on our findings and literature review. This model will effectively support the implementation of educational interventions in health care by narrowing the theory-practice gap. It will also stimulate desired change in individual behavior and organizational culture over time. Furthermore, it will work for the benefit of the clinic and may be more
Discourses surrounding migration and integration often see language, and in particular the knowle... more Discourses surrounding migration and integration often see language, and in particular the knowledge of the native language, as a crucial barrier to minorities’ access to healthcare and welfare benefits, equal healthcare treatment, social integration, and psychological wellbeing. Using methods of ethnographic and interactional sociolinguistic and conversational analysis our project investigates how healthcare and welfare professionals and Greenlandic patients define, interpret and manage communication and language inequalities in face-to-face encounters. What are the practical, cognitive, psychological and social consequences of “miscommunication” for the Danish Greenlanders? We examine four distinct aspects of communication: conversational strategies, non-verbal behavior, linguistic insecurity, and attitudes. Our aim is to understand the entire communicative circuit (i.e. channels by which information is transmitted), developing on our idea of “affective language economies of health”.
Discourses surrounding migration and integration often see language, and in particular the knowle... more Discourses surrounding migration and integration often see language, and in particular the knowledge of the native language, as a crucial barrier to minorities' access to healthcare and welfare benefits, equal healthcare treatment, social integration, and psychological wellbeing. Using methods of ethnographic and interactional sociolinguistic and conversational analysis our project investigates how healthcare and welfare professionals and Greenlandic patients define, interpret and manage communication and language inequalities in face-to-face encounters. What are the practical, cognitive, psychological and social consequences of "miscommunication" for the Danish Greenlanders? We examine four distinct aspects of communication: conversational strategies, non-verbal behavior, linguistic insecurity, and attitudes. Our aim is to understand the entire communicative circuit (i.e. channels by which information is transmitted), developing on our idea of "affective language economies of health".
CULTMIND (The Center for Culture and the Mind Blog), 2023
During Nunamed 2022, three distinct topics emerged, when approaching the mental health and wellbe... more During Nunamed 2022, three distinct topics emerged, when approaching the mental health and wellbeing of the Arctic communities: (1) fears, emotions and affects, (2) the prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses, and (3) sexual assault, violence, and suicide attempts. All three increased during the pandemic, even though the virus was not very widespread in the Arctic, and Greenland managed particularly well to control the pandemic, while the imposed social isolation measures were limited. TThe following are some of my reflections on Nunamed 2022. They mainly revolve around two questions: ‘What was the psychological effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Inuit communities?’ and ‘How do we address these without Eurocentrism and focusing on damage-culture?’. I will also address the 'problem of the “silent culture” (in Danish, tavshedskulturen)', scrutinizing the prevailing contradictory views of the ‘Inuit culture’ as both the key protective factor and a major obstacle to heathier life in the Arctic. I argue that western-centric idea of silent culture and the essentializing culture-focused research are both problematic, nor do they shake the very fundamental assumption: that western ideas are the only rational ones and the only ideas which can make sense of the world, of reality, of social life and of human beings.
In this article we take a closer look at post-Soviet identity and 'belonging' within the Indigeno... more In this article we take a closer look at post-Soviet identity and 'belonging' within the Indigenous communities in Chukotka, the Russian Far East. During the Soviet era, the Soviet identity was glorified, whereas local ways of life, languages and the ethnic identities of Indigenous peoples were suppressed and stimatized. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the entire region sank into a severe economic and ideological crisis, forcing the Indigenous people to return to traditional ways of surviving, stimulating their interest in their ethnic roots, alternative spiritual values and new identities. Based on own empirical material, we analyse facets and practices of belonging among those who identify as Yupik and are related to Inuit in Greenland. Relying on Ortega's notion of hometactics, we focus on activities-the use of certain words and amulets in homes, consumption of certain foods, and performance of sacred rituals and songs associated with the past-that forge a sense of familiarity and belonging in everyday spaces for the Yupik people, showing how Yupik identity is constructed, enacted, and attributed meaning in interaction and everyday life.
Background: Approximately one third of patient appointments in Health Care fails. Failed appointm... more Background: Approximately one third of patient appointments in Health Care fails. Failed appointments put patients at risk, and they create a sizeable “waste” of resources. Most interventions in health care target the patient. They do not always work and may lead to social biases and more health inequality. A more holistic understanding of no-shows at hospital appointments would optimize processes and reduce waste, and it will support for particularly vulnerable patients. Objectives: The study seeks to provide a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of why (and how) patients do not show up for hospital appointments by involving the patient perspective and analysing the relational and organizational processes around no-shows in health care. It also aims to identify interactional strategies and organizational processes that work well, to support an appropriate implementation effort. Methods: The project uses mixed quantitative-qualitative methods. It addresses structural, relational, and pragmatic dimensions of failed hospital appointments in the Region of Southern Denmark through 4 analytical projects: 1) analysis of non-attendance patterns based on a regional patient population, 2) analysis of patient knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour, 3) analysis of the management of hospital agreements, and 4) in-situ (mis)communication. Chi2 and Kruskal-Wallis tests are used to compare the baseline characteristics of the patients across different levels. The three qualitative studies will share a common data pool consisting of ethnographic observational data, individual interviews with patients and practitioners, questionnaires regarding patients’ satisfaction with consultations, and video recordings of patient consultations. Both the traditional ethnographic method and cognitive video ethnography will be used. Results: This paper describes the protocol of the study. As of January 2023, the study was registered with The Danish Data Protection Agency (Registry ID: 22/54791), and with The Open Patient Data Explorative Network (Registry ID: OP_1800). The recruitment commenced in February 2023. It is anticipated that the quantitative data analysis will be complete by the end of august 2023, with the qualitative investigation beginning September 2023, and the first study findings available by the end of 2024. Conclusions: The many failures indicate that there is a lack of an offer within the healthcare system that can accommodate the vulnerable patients. To design effective interventions, the description and categorization of failures at hospital appointments must be supplemented by a more qualitative approach and solid ethnographic data that provides insights into the organizational and communicative processes leading to hospital errors and appointment failures. Achieving more comprehensive knowledge about the causes of failed patient appointments will have major practical benefits, contributing to a better, safer and more coherent treatment in health care.
Using an ethnography of speaking approach, this article discusses the ideological aspects of lang... more Using an ethnography of speaking approach, this article discusses the ideological aspects of language practices, as they are played out in a traditional Yupik (Eskimo) village in Chukotka, in the Far East of the Russian Federation. The article shows how local lin guistic practices and language choices of individual speakers inter sect with purist language ideologies, which frame certain beliefs about languages and ways of speaking, making them appear more normal and appropriate than others. Placing the "work of speaking" within the context of crosscultural dynamics and purist language economies, this article challenges the basic assumption of linguistic purism about language and identity being intertwined.
In order to answer the critical question of “how (and whether) communities can sustain continued ... more In order to answer the critical question of “how (and whether) communities can sustain continued use of their languages in the future,” this article addresses the subject of linguistic “sustainability” by comparing linguistic situations in two geographically and politically divided Yupik communities with dissimilar degrees of language maintenance: the predominantly Russian-speaking village of Novoe Chaplino in the Russian Far East and the still bilingual (English-Yupik) village of Gambell on St. Lawrence Island in the United States. Addressing the question of sustainability from “within” – that is, looking at what “sustainability” looks like and how it works on the ground – the article discusses the place of language ideologies in this process, advocating for a move away from purists' conceptualisation of language to more experimental practices and “bilingual games.”
Introduction to a ph.d. thesis, in which I describe, analyze and compare the complex and multifac... more Introduction to a ph.d. thesis, in which I describe, analyze and compare the complex and multifaceted dynamics of talk in two villages, situated on the opposite sides of the international Russian-American border. The dissertation focuses on the link between language and identity and on the role of language ideologies in the enactment of this link, illuminating the relationship between social structures and forms of talk.
In studies of language choice and minority language shift and maintenance, attention is frequentl... more In studies of language choice and minority language shift and maintenance, attention is frequently given to factors other than emotions: social context of contact, language politics, linguistic competence and attitudes, educational policies, and political agendas in a society. Yet human language is ideologically saturated, aesthetically experienced empirical phenomena, characterized by complex dynamics and linked to group and personal identities, morality, aesthetics, and epistemology. While negative moral emotions (e.g., shame) may lead people to abandon their first language, heritage languages may still be perceived as “more emotional,” and their loss and maintenance is a deeply emotional matter. Drawing on Pavlenko, Cavanaugh, and Ahmed, I discuss the role of emotion-related factors—affective repertoires and perceived language emotionality—in language choice of native Chukotkan parents, as a way of understanding human interactivity and the potential of the local environment for children’s acquisition of their heritage languages. Perceived language emotionality, I argue, is an important yet often overlooked aspect of heritage language sustainability and learning. The focus of this article is not on how bodies are transformed into objects of emotions (e.g., “the shamed one”), but on interplay between emotions and multilingual phenomena: how language and wordings are used to move people, to produce affects, attachments, equalities, and authenticities.
Alaska Journal of Anthropology vol. 19, no. 1&2 (2021), 2021
This article casts light on the last segment of Knud Rasmussen’s “grand expedition,” his trip to ... more This article casts light on the last segment of Knud Rasmussen’s “grand expedition,” his trip to Chukotka, in the Russian Far East, in September 1924. He spent somewhere between 18 and 48 hours in Chukotka before he was deported back to Alaska, and it is doubtful that he was able to bring any significant local objects back with him. Yet the Fifth Thule Expedition’s Siberian Collection at the National Museum of Denmark includes about 1,000 items. Most of these objects were purchased by Rasmussen after his return and donated to the museum as an extension of the Fifth Thule work. The article discusses the significance of Rasmussen’s trip to Chukotka and the origin of the expedition’s Siberian collection. It is also an attempt to challenge our traditional understanding of an “expedition” as a purposeful journey with a definitive beginning and end.
ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND/SIBERIAN YUPIK ESKIMO DICTIONARY. VOL. 1: INTRODUCTION AND BASES A–S. VOL. 2:... more ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND/SIBERIAN YUPIK ESKIMO DICTIONARY. VOL. 1: INTRODUCTION AND BASES A–S. VOL. 2: BASES T–W, POSTBASES, EN- CLITICS, APPENDIXES, AND INDEX. Compiled by Linda Womkon Badten (Aghnaghaghpik), Vera Oovi Kaneshiro (Uqiitlek), Marie Oovi (Uvegtu), and Christopher Koonooka (Petuwaq). Edited by Steven A. Jacobson. Fair- banks: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska, 2008. Pp. xl– 496 (vol. 1); 497–940 (vol. 2).
Dynamics of talk in Two Arctic Villages - Minorities' Resistance to Dominance in the Russian Federation and the United States, 2010
Introduction to a ph.d. thesis, in which I describe, analyze and compare the complex and multifac... more Introduction to a ph.d. thesis, in which I describe, analyze and compare the complex and multifaceted dynamics of talk in two villages, situated on the opposite sides of the international Russian-American border. The dissertation focuses on the link between language and identity and on the role of language ideologies in the enactment of this link, illuminating the relationship between social structures and forms of talk.
Language Contact on Both Sides of the Bering Strait: A Comparative Study of CSY- Russian and CAY-English Language Contact, 2004
This study puts CSY-Russian and CAY-English contacts into a comparative perspective and discusses... more This study puts CSY-Russian and CAY-English contacts into a comparative perspective and discusses different linguistic and non-linguistic (social, political, demographical, etc.) factors that have influenced the linguistic outcome of these contacts. The discussion is based upon the analytical framework proposed by Thomason and Kaufman (1988) and the principle that socio-linguistic constraints are more important for the study of language contact and language change than are linguistic constraints. It argues for the positive applicability of Thomason and Kaufman’s theoretical model, yet emphasises that some specific historical circumstances of the Bering Strait have had an effect that is not entirely predictable by their model.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health has emerged as a prominent concern wi... more Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health has emerged as a prominent concern with profound implications for both the present and future repercussions of the global health crisis (Bambra 2020; Moreno et al 2020; Rose 2020; Lancet Psychiatry editors 2020).
Mainstream journals (e.g., Lancet and Nature) presented conclusive findings that the pandemic was detrimental to mental health (Burgess 2020; The Lancet Psychiatry 2023). Leading international health organizations such as the WHO and World Psychiatric Association have issued guidance for preserving mental health in times of Covid-19.
In most discussions, researchers and policymakers assume the universality of such mental health consequences around the world – after all, the pandemic-related circumstances and social measures appear to be strikingly similar in most socio-cultural contexts, and in the current climate of global mental health the same guidelines, research instruments, diagnoses and questionnaires are often used across the globe. Within the history of transcultural psychiatry and medical anthropology, however, which have shed light on the multifaceted relationship between culture, society and mental illness, such assumptions about the global universality of psychological problems and emotional worlds should also be questioned (Bains 2020; Antic 2021; Kleinman 2023). In fact, the universalization of psychiatric concepts and instruments without considering complex sociocultural contexts can lead to the marginalization of both patients and experts from developing countries, may reinforce Eurocentric tendencies and power structures in mental health, and often results in ineffective policies (Mills & Fernando 2014; Kirmayer 2006; Napier 2014). Moreover, with the pandemic being declared to be over, the initial fervour surrounding pandemic-related prognostications has gradually abated, which brings forth the need for a more nuanced and comprehensive examination of the pandemic’s transformative effects. This session brings researchers from interdisciplinary fields working with local communities and medical professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists) in the Global South and Global North to explore how local languages, cultures and context have shaped communities and medical professionals’ responses to the pandemic, and how cultural and social difference is constructed and worked into the mental health research during and after the pandemic.
Bringing the diversity of voices and experiences to the fore, we ask: ‘How can we conceptualize, understand, and alleviate pandemic-related distress and afflictions?’ ‘To what extent was the pandemic suffering universal, and to what extent it was culturally determined or constructed?’ Ultimately, ‘How can we conceptualize “mental health” in the post-pandemic world?’ and ‘What can we do to advance change?’ The session will help to share the findings generated by the “COVID-19 and Global Mental Health: The Importance of Cultural Context” project, based at the Center of Culture and the Mind, University of Copenhagen. It will also provide a platform for scholars and younger researchers, working in the fields of transcultural psychiatry, psychiatric epidemiology, anthropology, medical humanities, and public health, to present up-to-date findings and debate new pathways to understanding post-pandemic transitions and emerging mental health problems.
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Papers by Daria M Schwalbe
The aim of this study was to conduct and evaluate the Blended Learning communication skills training program. The key objective was to investigate (i) how clinical intervention studies can be designed to include cognitive, organizational, and interactive processes, and (ii) how researchers and practitioners could work with integrated methods to support the desired change.
METHODS
The method combined design and implementation of a 12-week Blended Learning communication skills training program based on the Calgary-Cambridge Guide. The training was implemented in a patient clinic at a Danish university hospital and targeted all healthcare professionals at the clinic. Cognitive ethnography was used to document and evaluate healthcare professionals’ implementation and individual competency development, and support the design of in-situ simulation training scenarios.
RESULTS
Thirteen participants completed the program. The synergy within the teams, as well as the opportunities for participants to coordinate, share, discuss, and reflect on the received knowledge with a colleague or on-site researcher, affected learning positively. The knowledge transfer process was affected by negative feedback loops, such as time shortages, issues with concept development and transfer, disjuncture between the expectations of participants and instructors of the overall course structure, as well as participant insecurity and a gradual loss of motivation and compliance.
CONCLUSION
We propose a novel 3-step model for clinical interventions based on our findings and literature review. This model will effectively support the implementation of educational interventions in health care by narrowing the theory-practice gap. It will also stimulate desired change in individual behavior and organizational culture over time. Furthermore, it will work for the benefit of the clinic and may be more
in the Russian Far East, in September 1924. He spent somewhere between 18 and 48 hours in Chukotka
before he was deported back to Alaska, and it is doubtful that he was able to bring any significant local
objects back with him. Yet the Fifth Thule Expedition’s Siberian Collection at the National Museum
of Denmark includes about 1,000 items. Most of these objects were purchased by Rasmussen after his
return and donated to the museum as an extension of the Fifth Thule work. The article discusses the
significance of Rasmussen’s trip to Chukotka and the origin of the expedition’s Siberian collection. It is
also an attempt to challenge our traditional understanding of an “expedition” as a purposeful journey
with a definitive beginning and end.
The aim of this study was to conduct and evaluate the Blended Learning communication skills training program. The key objective was to investigate (i) how clinical intervention studies can be designed to include cognitive, organizational, and interactive processes, and (ii) how researchers and practitioners could work with integrated methods to support the desired change.
METHODS
The method combined design and implementation of a 12-week Blended Learning communication skills training program based on the Calgary-Cambridge Guide. The training was implemented in a patient clinic at a Danish university hospital and targeted all healthcare professionals at the clinic. Cognitive ethnography was used to document and evaluate healthcare professionals’ implementation and individual competency development, and support the design of in-situ simulation training scenarios.
RESULTS
Thirteen participants completed the program. The synergy within the teams, as well as the opportunities for participants to coordinate, share, discuss, and reflect on the received knowledge with a colleague or on-site researcher, affected learning positively. The knowledge transfer process was affected by negative feedback loops, such as time shortages, issues with concept development and transfer, disjuncture between the expectations of participants and instructors of the overall course structure, as well as participant insecurity and a gradual loss of motivation and compliance.
CONCLUSION
We propose a novel 3-step model for clinical interventions based on our findings and literature review. This model will effectively support the implementation of educational interventions in health care by narrowing the theory-practice gap. It will also stimulate desired change in individual behavior and organizational culture over time. Furthermore, it will work for the benefit of the clinic and may be more
in the Russian Far East, in September 1924. He spent somewhere between 18 and 48 hours in Chukotka
before he was deported back to Alaska, and it is doubtful that he was able to bring any significant local
objects back with him. Yet the Fifth Thule Expedition’s Siberian Collection at the National Museum
of Denmark includes about 1,000 items. Most of these objects were purchased by Rasmussen after his
return and donated to the museum as an extension of the Fifth Thule work. The article discusses the
significance of Rasmussen’s trip to Chukotka and the origin of the expedition’s Siberian collection. It is
also an attempt to challenge our traditional understanding of an “expedition” as a purposeful journey
with a definitive beginning and end.
Mainstream journals (e.g., Lancet and Nature) presented conclusive findings that the pandemic was detrimental to mental health (Burgess 2020; The Lancet Psychiatry 2023). Leading international health organizations such as the WHO and World Psychiatric Association have issued guidance for preserving mental health in times of Covid-19.
In most discussions, researchers and policymakers assume the universality of such mental health consequences around the world – after all, the pandemic-related circumstances and social measures appear to be strikingly similar in most socio-cultural contexts, and in the current climate of global mental health the same guidelines, research instruments, diagnoses and questionnaires are often used across the globe. Within the history of transcultural psychiatry and medical anthropology, however, which have shed light on the multifaceted relationship between culture, society and mental illness, such assumptions about the global universality of psychological problems and emotional worlds should also be questioned (Bains 2020; Antic 2021; Kleinman 2023). In fact, the universalization of psychiatric concepts and instruments without considering complex sociocultural contexts can lead to the marginalization of both patients and experts from developing countries, may reinforce Eurocentric tendencies and power structures in mental health, and often results in ineffective policies (Mills & Fernando 2014; Kirmayer 2006; Napier 2014). Moreover, with the pandemic being declared to be over, the initial fervour surrounding pandemic-related prognostications has gradually abated, which brings forth the need for a more nuanced and comprehensive examination of the pandemic’s transformative effects. This session brings researchers from interdisciplinary fields working with local communities and medical professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists) in the Global South and Global North to explore how local languages, cultures and context have shaped communities and medical professionals’ responses to the pandemic, and how cultural and social difference is constructed and worked into the mental health research during and after the pandemic.
Bringing the diversity of voices and experiences to the fore, we ask: ‘How can we conceptualize, understand, and alleviate pandemic-related distress and afflictions?’ ‘To what extent was the pandemic suffering universal, and to what extent it was culturally determined or constructed?’ Ultimately, ‘How can we conceptualize “mental health” in the post-pandemic world?’ and ‘What can we do to advance change?’ The session will help to share the findings generated by the “COVID-19 and Global Mental Health: The Importance of Cultural Context” project, based at the Center of Culture and the Mind,
University of Copenhagen. It will also provide a platform for scholars and younger researchers, working in the fields of transcultural psychiatry, psychiatric epidemiology, anthropology, medical humanities, and public health, to present up-to-date findings and debate new pathways to understanding post-pandemic transitions and emerging mental health problems.