Vicissitudes of attachment: nurturance and dependence in Canadian Inuit family relationships, old and new.

Abstract

This paper describes complex and counterbalancing motivations underlying attachment, which governed social life in traditional Inuit camps and continue to influence Inuit behaviour in modern settlements. These motivational patterns are capable of maintaining a strong sense of personal worth and connectedness with other people; but they can malfunction in difficult circumstances. The differing vicissitudes of nurturance and dependence in camps and in settlements are described, with focus on the development of a vicious circle, which can afflict the self-esteem of Inuit who live under modern conditions.