SELECTED THESES ON THE CIRCUMPOLAR ARCTIC

Primary Health Services in the Canadian Arctic are predominantly provided by nurses whose cultural backgrounds differ from that of their clientele. This diversity can result in misunderstandings and conflict between the health care providers and their client. Greater understanding of the client culture is necessary in order to identify areas in which conflict exists and to plan culturally appropriate health programs and initiatives. This thesis documents an attempt to increase cultural understanding, by means of a Value Orientation Profile.
This study defines and describes the Value Orientation Profile of some Copper Inuit living in the Hamlet of Coppermine, NWT. The sample consisted of 36 randomly selected individuals, 19 females and 17 males. Each gender group was further stratified according to age and level of education.
Data was collected through interviews using the Kluckhohn Value Orientation Questionnaire with the addition of eight modified questions which were considered more culturally relevant than the corresponding original questions.
Data analysis consisted of: (a) the determination of the Kendall S statistic for individual questions, (b) a binomial analysis of the individual questions, and (c) a t-test analysis of the overall Value Orientations. Findings indicated a distinct Value Orientation Profile.
The implications for nursing and other health professionals in both the hospital and community are discussed. The findings indicate that the Value Orientations of the Copper Inuit influence how health services may be utilized. The use of Value Orientation to identify areas of possible conflict is also illustrated.'