During my stay I had exciting conversations about qualitative methods, discussed research projects in Greenland, and experienced and learned about the Sami culture. I am a PhD student at Ilisimatusarfik (University of Greenland) and the Center for Public Health in Greenland at University of Southern Denmark. In my PhD project, I follow the implementation process of Greenland's national parenting program MANU, where I have interviewed professionals and parents about their experiences with MANU and their perspectives on parenting.
At UiT in Tromsø, I was in close contact with my co-supervisor Siv Kvernmo, who taught me a lot about the Sami history and culture, and we discussed how this could relate to my results. Siv put me in touch with several exciting researchers, whom I had the opportunity to meet and discuss qualitative methods, research and health services in Arctic areas, as well as values among the Sami and Inuit. I was also invited to give a guest lecture to the Master in Public Health students on public health and research in Greenland.
I was also able to visit Karasjok and Kautokeino in Finnmark. Here, I visited SANKS – the Finnmark Hospital, where I was warmly welcomed and possible areas for collaboration found. Siv Kvernom also put me in contact with the Sami researcher Asta Balto, who is known for her research into Sami knowledge, values and ways of life with a focus on values in child rearing. I learned a lot from Asta Balto, and we discussed my results about Greenlandic parents' values in child rearing and how comparable they are with Sami values.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to take such an inspiring research stay.
Christine Ingemann