Logo image
Back
Indigenous Australian perspectives on the perinatal period: Social wellbeing, culture and early infant attachments
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Indigenous Australian perspectives on the perinatal period: Social wellbeing, culture and early infant attachments

Jodie A Mottram and James A. Dimmock
Social science & medicine (1982), Vol.364, pp.1-9
01/2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117476
PMID: 39577164
Appears in  Recent Faculty of Health Publications
pdf
Indigenous Australian perspectives on the perinatal period533.36 kBDownloadView
Published (Version of record)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0,  Open Access
url
Indigenous Australian perspectives on the perinatal periodView
Published (Version of record)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0,  Open

Related links

Metrics

1 Record Views

Abstract

Attachments Culture Indigenous Kinship Perinatal
Objective: Although social factors and culture are significant determinants of health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, little is known academically about key interpersonal and social experiences of this population during the perinatal period, or how early attachments are formed through culture. This study addressed this gap in the literature. Methods and measures: A reflexive thematic analysis approach was applied to the data gathered from focus groups (N = 14) held with Aboriginal (N = 7) and Torres Strait Islander (N = 7) mothers and their kinship systems. Results: Five prominent interpersonal and social themes were identified: maternal-fetal attachment, infant-kinship attachment, caretaking roles/shared caregiving, traditional adoption, and ceremonies and rites of passage. Characteristics of maternal-fetal attachment were aligned with the construct in non-Indigenous literature. Post-utero, caretaking/shared caregiving roles such as ‘big mum/dad’ and ‘small mum/dad’ were identified. Ceremonies and rites of passage were understood to cement cultural roles within the kinship system, and the role of the maternal uncle was highlighted. A cultural obligation to help raise the child for biological mothers' other siblings, known as ‘mums’ and ‘dads’, was identified. Conclusion: Discussion is centred around the necessity for ‘grass roots’ research from the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and on suggestions for future research in further exploring the themes derived from this research.

Details

Logo image