The Sámi and other minorities in Sweden share historical experiences of being subjected to racism, not in the least in the name of (medical) science. That includes the infamous studies conducted by the world’s first state-sponsored institute for racial biology; “Rasbiologiska institutet”, founded in 1922. Naturally, those experiences have contributed to distrust of research and academic institutions among both the Sámi and other ethnic groups. However, almost 100 years after the founding of the Rasbiologiska instuitutet, Swedish society has changed. For example, the Indigenous Sámi in Sweden now demands their right to know their health status. Also, there is an increasing need to study health and racism among the different minorities in Sweden, as highlighted by the Swedish government in 2021 assigning the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten) to propose sustainable ways to monitor the health and living conditions of the Indigenous Sámi as well as the other national minorities within Sweden.
The aim of this seminar is to widen and deepen the academic discourse connected to these issues. Invited presenters represent different approaches and draws from contemporary problematisations both among Sámi and other minorities within and outside Sweden.
The seminar is arranged by the research group “Lávvuo – research and education for Sámi health” at Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University.
Agenda:
13:00 – 13:10 Welcome and introduction, Lena Maria Nilsson and Jon Petter Stoor
Lena Maria will open the seminar and situate us in relation to the historical context; “100 years later”.
13:10 – 13:20 Anna Dahlberg, Public Health Agency of Sweden
Anna will share about the task and work process in the assignment to propose ways to monitor health situation of the Indigenous Sámi and other national minorities in Sweden.
13:20 – 13:40 Jon Petter Stoor
Presentation title: “A pragmatic approach to studying Sámi public health in Sweden: the SámiHET study”
13:40 – 14:00 Hanna Bradby, Department of Sociology, Uppsala University
Title: Under the title ‘Resisting racism in healthcare’ The ambivalence of resistance includes both how medical practice and culture has denied the relevance of racism and resistance at the individual level of staff and patients subject to discrimination.
Paus
14:10 – 14:30 Daniel La Parra Casado, Sociology Department, University of Alicante
Title: 'The practical epistemological consequences of being statistically invisible: the case for the Roma in Europe'
14:30 – 14:50 Edda Manga, the Multicultural Centre in Botkyrka
Title: “Experiences of racism in The Corona Era Archive”
Paus
15:00 – 15:45 Panel discussion followed by discussion with audience
Moderator Lena Maria Nilsson
Participating
Lena Maria Nilsson, research coordinator, Lávvuo research group, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University.
Anna Dahlberg, Analyst at the Unit for public health reporting, Public Health Agency of Sweden.
Jon Petter Stoor, postdoctoral fellow, Lávvuo research group, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University.
Hanna Bradby, professor, Department of Sociology, Uppsala University. Has been researching how migration, language and religion are important for various aspects of health and health care for some decades. Details of publications are here http://hannah.bradby.info/
Daniel La Parra Casado, Associate Professor, Sociology Department, University of Alicante.
Edda Manga, researcher and research leader at the Multicultural Centre in Botkyrka.
