How to handle value conflicts in Swedish healthcare
A new study will investigate the differences in cultural values between migrants and Swedish healthcare professionals. The aim is to find out which strategies have been successfully used to handle value conflicts and provide tools for healthcare professionals in reproductive health care.
According to studies conducted by the World Values Survey (WVS), Sweden can be considered the world's most gender equal country. This affects our view on sexual and reproductive rights, such as sex before marriage and abortion. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to use gender equality in their work while also providing a culture-sensitive care. Differences in socio-cultural traditions and difficulties in talking about subjects within sex, cohabitation and reproduction can cause misunderstandings and ultimately poorer care. How does healthcare staff handle this challenge?
The research project "The role of values for equity in sexual and reproductive health. Clinical encounters as contentious space in a multicultural society" will look into the strategies that health professionals use and explore which ones were most successful. It will also explore the differences in cultural values between immigrants and healthcare professionals, what prejudices exist and how the values change over time. The goal is to ultimately develop and evaluate tools that can help healthcare professionals to reflect on their own values and address conflicts of interest.
The project is funded by Forte, will last 2018-2020 and is run by Birgitta Essén at the Department of Women and Children's Health at Uppsala University. Bi Puranen and Pontus Strimling will participate in the project from the Institute for Future Studies.
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