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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Narratives Of Social Support And Health In Aboriginal Communities, Chantelle Richmond
Narratives Of Social Support And Health In Aboriginal Communities, Chantelle Richmond
Chantelle Richmond
Societies that foster high-quality social relationships and social support seemingly produce healthier populations. Existing research identifies social support as a significant dimension and determinant of Canadian Aboriginal health, yet patterns of morbidity and mortality overwhelmingly reflect social causes (e.g., violence, suicide), thereby suggesting that social support may not be widely accessible within this population. This paper seeks to understand how broader societal factors (e.g., colonialism) work to influence access to social support in the everyday social environments of Aboriginal communities. Narrative analysis of interviews with 26 Aboriginal Community Health Representatives (CHRs) from across Canada. Sources of social support are institutional …
Explaining The Paradox Of Health And Social Support Among Aboriginal Canadians, Chantelle Richmond
Explaining The Paradox Of Health And Social Support Among Aboriginal Canadians, Chantelle Richmond
Chantelle Richmond
Societies that foster high quality social environments and integration produce healthier populations. The mechanisms underlying the protective effect of social integration appear to be through various forms of social support. Despite reportedly high rates of social support within the Aboriginal population, however, current patterns of health are overrepresented by social ills such as family violence, alcoholism and suicide. This paper explores this paradox through qualitative interviews with Aboriginal Community Health Representatives (CHR's). CHR's narratives point to two key explanations for the health-support paradox: (i) social support is not a widely accessible resource; and (ii) the negative health effects of social …