Carolyn Strubel wrote: " In your opinion, what are the greatest benefits
for breastfeeding women and breastfed children in less developed countries
and or a countries in the midst of war? In your opinion, what are the
greatest barriers to women in less developed countries and or countries in
the midst of war who are planning to breastfeed or are currently
breastfeeding? In your opinion, if I was a lactation consultant working in
a less developed country and or country in the midst of war, what would be
the most important cultural issue (will vary from country to country) I
should be aware/sensitive of relative to a woman who is breastfeeding?"
War regularly results in refugees, adult and child alike. Two excellent and
well-referenced books that are highly relevant to such questions are:
Refugee Children: Theory, Research, and Services, edited by Frederick L.
Ahearn, Jr. and Jean L. Athey. The Johns Hopkins University Press:
Baltimore, 1991.
Refugee Women and Their Mental Health: Shattered Societies, Shattered Lives
by Ellen Cole, Oliva M. Espin and Esther D. Rothblum. Harrington Park
Press: New York, 1992.
My article, "Relearning the lost art of breastfeeding: Obstacles and
resources for Iranian and American women," (Andisheh, Vol. 1 No. 10,
December 1999; pp. 4-6), may be of interest. It is accessible from the
publications page of my website, Ammawell (http://ammawell.homepage.com).
Also, an understanding of culture, in general, is critical for
understanding the experience and choices of breastfeeding mothers whether
they live in developed or underdeveloped countries--during peace or war. I
have just published an article, "The Cultural Art of Breastfeeding" in
LEAVEN, one of La Leche League International's (LLLI) journals. It
describes how breastfeeding is a social behavior and discusses culture and
some of its dimensions (e.g., how societies think about human nature,
social relationships, human beings' relationship with nature, time, and
human activity). It also presents cultural dimensions of breastfeeding
(e.g., how societies think about nursling's nature, the mother-nursling
relationship, mothers' relationship with breastfeeding, the timing of
breastfeeding, and the activity of breastfeeding). A particular culture's
breastfeeding worldview may match the biology of breastfeeding well or
poorly. For example, mainstream American breastfeeding worldview is a poor
match with breastfeeding biology. The article suggests implications for
breastfeeding counseling that are relevant to lactation consultants whether
they are working with women from their own or other cultures.
It will be probably be a few months before the article is archived in La
Leche League International's database of articles on their website at
www.lalecheleague.com. When it is archived, I will add a link to it from
the publications page of my website, Ammawell, at
http://ammawell.homepage.com. If you have access to LEAVEN, a journal
published by LLLI, you might want to look at my article "The Cultural Art
of Breastfeeding" in the October-November issue (vol. 36 no. 5, pp. 87-91).
You could contact your local La Leche League Group to see if you could get
a copy of the article from one of the Group's Leaders. Many La Leche League
Groups are listed in the LLLI website or you can call 1-800-LA LECHE to ask
for a contact in your area.
I would be interested in a copy of your completed paper. Happy writing!
Cynthia Good Mojab, MS Clinical Psychology
(Breastfeeding mother, advocate, independent [cross-cultural] researcher
and author; LLL Leader and Research Associate in the LLLI Publications
Department; and former psychotherapist currently busy nurturing her own
little one.)
Ammawell
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web site: http://ammawell.homepage.com
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