Experiences of Well-Being Among Sami and Roma Women in a Swedish Context

Abstract

Our aim was to explore the experiences of well-being and lack of well-being among middle-aged and older women belonging to two national minority groups in Sweden. Interviews from nine older Sami women and four middle-aged Roma women were analyzed using grounded theory with the following categories identified: contributing to well-being (with the subcategories belonging to a healthy family, being spiritual, cultural norms as health promoting, and having had a life of one's own); and contributing to lack of well-being (with the subcategories living subordinate to the dominant society, living in a hierarchical family, and living in the shadow of tuberculosis.)

Acknowledgments

The authors have been financially supported by the Umeå Centre for Gender Studies in Medicine, Umeå University, and the Research Programme Challenging Gender, Umeå University.