{"product_id":"life-beside-itself-imagining-care-in-the-canadian-arctic-9780520282940","title":"Life Beside Itself: Imagining Care in the Canadian Arctic","description":"\u003ch2\u003eLife Beside Itself: Imagining Care in the Canadian Arctic\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eLife Beside Itself\u003c\/i\u003e, Lisa Stevenson presents a haunting ethnographic examination of two critical historical moments when Inuit life in the Canadian Arctic balanced on the edge of survival: the tuberculosis epidemic spanning the 1940s to early 1960s, and the ongoing suicide epidemic from the 1980s to present day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eEthnographic Analysis of Care and Survival\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis anthropological work challenges conventional understanding of life itself and what it means to provide care for another person. Through meticulous ethnographic research, Stevenson examines the images, dreams, and worldviews through which the Inuit understand existence. The book reveals a reality where life exists \"beside itself\": a teenager's name-soul continues in a newborn after death, dream encounters with deceased friends remain vivid, and possessed clock hands spin beyond control.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCritical Examination of Humanitarian Policy\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStevenson's research demonstrates why standard humanitarian policies often fail in these contexts. Policies designed to save lives by maintaining bodily functions miss the fundamental truth that for the Inuit, life exists \"somewhere else.\" The book articulates the need for care frameworks that acknowledge this reality rather than imposing external definitions of survival and wellbeing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical Context and Contemporary Relevance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe tuberculosis epidemic forced massive disruptions in Inuit communities through medical evacuations and institutional care. Decades later, suicide rates revealed ongoing trauma and cultural displacement. This anthropological study connects these health crises to broader questions about colonial intervention, indigenous autonomy, and the meaning of care in cross-cultural contexts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLisa Stevenson\u003c\/b\u003e is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at McGill University and the editor of \u003ci\u003eCritical Inuit Studies: An Anthology of Contemporary Arctic Ethnography\u003c\/i\u003e (2006).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEssential reading for anthropology students, public health professionals, and anyone interested in indigenous health, colonial history, and care ethics in Arctic communities.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University of California Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50680637391122,"sku":"9780520282940","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_edfd3379-1f6e-46bf-afa6-efd81d587abe.jpg?v=1734923556","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/life-beside-itself-imagining-care-in-the-canadian-arctic-9780520282940","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}