Language as a cultural mediator in social work: Supporting Sámi culture with services in Sámi

Abstract

Language takes on heightened importance when working with a cultural and linguistic minority. The article examines welfare services and social work and their role in sustaining the language and culture of the Sámi in Finland as an indigenous people. The inquiry also analyses the current situation of and language use in the provision of services. The research contributes a theoretical discussion of linguistic codes in social work and of the importance of language use in promoting Sámi culture. It concludes that well-functioning services may offer indigenous people an opportunity and environment for using their mother tongue.

Exploring why and how encounters with the Norwegian health-care system can be considered culturally unsafe by North Sami-speaking patients and relatives: A qualitative study based on 11 interviews

“…The findings in this study that participants longed to use the Sami language in encounters with health-care providers diverge from the findings of Dagsvold et al [14] from mental healthcare.This may be because our participants' preferred language were Sami, and most of their health-care experiences were from areas with few Sami speakers. However, lack of Sami language was also reported from a GP's office in a Sami municipality, in social work within Sami people in Finland [44,45]; this confirms that language is a cultural mediator for Sami patient and is important for feeling connected and safe in encounters and communication with health-care providers [46,47].…”

“…Highlighting the concept of culturally safe care as a goal at the individual, group and institutional level is considered important; this can be done during internal group discussions on existing narratives from patients' reports, to improve practice. Sami-speaking staff can reduce misunderstandings in communication [13,21,44,45]. Their internalized Sami cultural competence [7][8][9] implies the understanding of "the Sami way of being" [34], which was reported by three participants as different from the Norwegian.…”

“…Tests must be translated into patients' mother tongue to ensure a correct diagnosis. Use of a common language between clinician and patient will reduce adverse events and enhance communication [13,44,45]. Interpreting services must be integrated into consultations with GPs, doctors' rounds to hospital patients and rehabilitation programmes.…”

‘Contradictions in having care providers with a South Sami background who speak South Sami’: older South Sami People in Sweden's expectations of home nursing care

“…The category ‘Having care providers who speak South Sami is of differing importance’ could be related to The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare where they emphasise the importance that care providers should possess competence regarding the languages and cultures of minorities in Sweden, exemplified by the South Sami population. Pohjola also mentions the fact that language is a bearer of culture, and language is especially important when working with cultural and linguistic minorities .…”

Yeni̇ Bi̇r Yaklaşim Olarak Di̇lbi̇li̇msel Sosyal Hi̇zmet

“…Refah hizmetlerinin sunumunda, dilin kültürel öneminin göze çarptığını söylemek mümkündür (MacFarlane vd., 2009;Pohjola, 2016). Hizmetlerin, müracaatçıların ana dilinde veriliyor olması, dilin ve kültürün hayatta kalmasını destekler niteliktedir.…”