Life Beside Itself: Imagining Care in the Canadian Arctic - Paperback

Life Beside Itself: Imagining Care in the Canadian Arctic

In Life Beside Itself, 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.

Ethnographic Analysis of Care and Survival

This 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.

Critical Examination of Humanitarian Policy

Stevenson'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.

Historical Context and Contemporary Relevance

The 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.