somfamily

Integrity of the Family in the Somali Community: : 

Integrity of the Family in the Somali Community: A Study of Somali Women’s Caring Strength By: Deborah Schuhmacher

Study Background : 

Study Background PHN background Namibia travel Questions and similarities about African women’s strengths Minimal literature available

Domain of Inquiry:: 

Domain of Inquiry: Somali women’s ability to care for family and community through difficult and challenging life transitions.

Four Key Questions:: 

Four Key Questions: What are the unique caring strengths Somali women possess? How are these caring strengths expressed and sustained by culture, society, and environment? How do Somali women’s caring strengths influence the health and well-being of their families? How can nursing care practice support Somali women in caring for themselves and their families?

Theoretical Framework:Dr. Leininger’s Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality: 

Theoretical Framework: Dr. Leininger’s Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality Qualitative Research Ethnonursing Methodology

Theory Assumptions and Tenets : 

Theory Assumptions and Tenets Care is the essence & unifying focus of nursing Culture care is the broadest holistic means to predict/guide nursing practice Culture care values/beliefs/practice are often embedded within the context of a particular culture Emic – insiders view Etic – outsiders view Generic (folk) system Professional system Cultural & social dimensions Cultural care decision and action modes

Study Method & Design: 

Study Method & Design Ethnonursing methodology enablers: O/P/R, purposeful sampling, in-depth interviews Somali key informants Somali general informants Interviews: initial, f/u, taped and transcribed Somali interpreter and documents

Key Informant Criteria: 

Key Informant Criteria Somali women who migrated to the U.S. since the civil war in Somalia Somali women having had lived experience with war displacement, refugee status, and transition to a new homeland Somali women of any age with a family, preferably with children during their escape from Somalia

Analysis of Data : 

Analysis of Data Raw data Categorization of descriptors Pattern and contextual analysis Findings & recommendations Recurrent patterning Meaning-in-context Saturation

Study Findings: Four Culture Care Themes: 

Study Findings: Four Culture Care Themes Waiting to Die—Planning to Live Relinquishing Life to God Sacrificing for Unity: Hope for Renewal Committing to Others

Theme OneWaiting to Die—Planning to Live: 

Theme One Waiting to Die—Planning to Live Living the horrendous and surviving with courage and faith Family and community solidarity as a collective strength; the interdependence of society sustaining life Instinctual skillful living—resiliency in living

Theme One Stories: 

Theme One Stories Horrors of War Omnipresent Threat of Death Sudden and Shocking Change in Life Relentless Struggle to Survive--Every Day

Somali Women Quotes: 

Somali Women Quotes “We always give it to God, if it happens to you it was meant to be…so we waiting our day, it doesn’t matter when or where or how.” “If they didn’t die, we’ll find them. We used to call each other and talk to people and ask if they saw my child and they will talk to somebody else and they will find your child.” “We never be alone, we have to be strong with other people…that’s the way we like each other.” “The community I live is my family…all life, we share life, everybody is my community now, my family.” “My husband’s child, I am step mom for him…he use to live in Madison and he come all the way to Ethiopia looking for us…he give us money.”

Theme TwoRelinquishing Life to God: 

Theme Two Relinquishing Life to God Believing religious and cultural traditions are fundamental to life Living with faith Acknowledging a relationship with God as inherent and forever: beyond life on earth

Theme Two Stories: 

Theme Two Stories The power of believing as an active strength Women trusting in their religious/spiritual beliefs as genuine Believing becomes living faith All of life is a message from God

Somali Women Quotes : 

Somali Women Quotes “Health is a gift, the kids is a gift, your life is gift, everything is gift from God…you have to believe first, to have faith.” “So if born or die, doesn’t matter if he takes it or brings it…I believe that from the day I was born.” “I hope everybody has a God heart, good heart…be thankful for whatever you can…it doesn’t matter what religion you, which color are you, just have to go back to God and see what he gives to you…there is only one God—for all of us. Everybody want what you want, if the people are lost they are still helping other people, if a person still lives, they have a heart.”

Quotes Continued : 

Quotes Continued “We have patience for God…our strength and relationship to God, we are very strong to that.” “God sees under the cover, God see your heart, God know your heart so try to clean your heart…twenty-four hours God is with you.” “My home is after death, that is the real home, the life is just one night.” {hope} “To live in this American style at peace and always believe in God.” General informant stated that peace exists as life itself: peace is alive.

Theme ThreeSacrificing for Unity: Hope for Renewal: 

Theme Three Sacrificing for Unity: Hope for Renewal Women as covert, wise protectors of family and community cohesiveness Mother as keeper of home and children: the garden of life Politicalization of family: family dispersion and reunification Losing children: being alone

Theme Three Stories: 

Theme Three Stories Somali women’s subtle & influential power as leaders Children representing the purpose of life Somali women as mothers for all children in community Effect of immigration policies on family Cultural and societal differences for the family from Somalia to America

Somali Women Quotes: 

Somali Women Quotes “The women doing everything, getting the food, running to Kenya…getting the fire, the women is strong.” “The women’s power is more powerful, more strong…they are selling some tomatoes, onions, potatoes and still striving for their kids, our mind is on the children and life and surviving.” “The mom have too importance inside the family…why do they call ‘mom,’ it’s bigger than our life…she will hold everything.” “Home is peace and kids, if there is peace and health you will survive…we know how to live and how to die cause I see both places…the most important thing is to be together, to be alive and to be healthy.”

Quotes Continued: 

Quotes Continued “The process to come here we started in 1991, June so that two years it takes to process to get everybody here and I came here 1993 in October.” “There is one child back in Nairobi…I couldn’t get him here, he lost from us when we live in Somalia.” “When we come to America, the kids left us here, we alone in America, we alone in the buildings.” “They told me America is a free country mom so leave us alone. I say in my world there is nothing called free.” “Everyday I pray my God…I don’t want to lose my child, I always ask my God, not this time.”

Theme FourCommitting to Others : 

Theme Four Committing to Others Sacrificing oneself to benefit another: sense of humanity > sense of duty Honoring each other through reciprocal sharing and generosity

Theme Four Stories: 

Theme Four Stories Humanity as ‘one’ and we are all eternally connected to God Value of humility and grace towards others Honoring and caring for others Living as companions The value of trust through generosity

Somali Women’s Quotes: 

Somali Women’s Quotes “Today if you don’t have something I will never leave you, I’ll take care of you till you can.” “We don’t have something to call share, if you have lunch today I am asking oh can I have some with you? So, we always as Somali’s giving and taking care of each other.” “It is a circle of people helping each other, everything is a circle.” “Here in America we still help each other…we share everything while we are still in America.” “Everybody has the commitment.”

Strength as Values: 

Strength as Values Theme one: faith in God, connection to community, collaborative community efforts, ability to improvise Theme two: believing in God, practicing faith, surrendering life to God, accepting life from God, having a devotional relationship with God everyday Theme three: Somali Women are guardian of family and community, mutuality of respect and caring between mother and child Theme four: unconditional sharing, genuine generosity, being in relationship and living for others

Nursing Implications:  Culture Care Preservation: 

Nursing Implications: Culture Care Preservation Maintain the strength of religious beliefs to foster community cohesiveness Maintain the strength of cultural values for family unity Preserve and encourage the constitution of community cohesiveness Maintain faith as a means of health and well-being Maintain peace as foundational to life and health Preserve the connection to homeland, Somalia

Culture Care Accommodation: 

Culture Care Accommodation Develop care models with philosophies supporting Somali culture, i.e. spiritual care, family care, care of generosity Integrate health as a gift of life in practice and build on embracing health Incorporate caring for family unity as influential on health and well-being Promote practice built on a shared responsibility for health, promote relationship as primary to health Recognize Somali women as instrumental and vital for health of family Develop educational tools on finding compromise with cultural differences that affect family and community

Culture Care Repatterning: 

Culture Care Repatterning Support peace building initiative locally and abroad Develop models of care focused on maintaining collective health rather than individual health Acknowledge the influence of political discord on health and well-being Organize forums and invite dialogue on caring modalities in support of health Utilize resources to integrate God into healthcare: partner with religious/spiritual leaders in the Somali community

Conclusions: 

Conclusions Culturally knowledgeable Empathetically confident Learning together in respect of one another Peace-building Generous care and system Continue to assess changing family needs Benefits: Somali women, Somali family, Somali community, and the American healthcare system

Garden In Somalia: 

Garden In Somalia “Beautiful gardens, I was full of peace and there was nothing missing. I was happy…they (kids) were going to school and were happy with what they were in life and they were healthy, that’s the main thing…It’s me and my garden.”

Garden in America: 

Garden in America “In America we have some gardens too, small gardens…your family is your garden too cause seven, eight, nine, or ten kids are gardens, that is what I call gardens…I work in my gardens…I put every kind of seed…I’m gonna wait for my gardens to grow and grow…the younger one keep telling me ‘mom when you get old, old, old, I will take care of you, to carry you on my shoulder’…we never leave each other, until we die.”