This thesis addresses the question ‘how can breastfeeding support services best meet the needs of women of Bangladeshi origin living in the UK?’ Breastfeeding is important for health, potentially contributing to reducing health inequalities. National surveys show that women of Bangladeshi origin have high initiation rates but low rates of continuation and exclusive breastfeeding. An initial literature review revealed that existing research relating to breastfeeding and the Bangladeshi community was descriptive and essentialist representing ethnic groups as homogenous and failing to recognise the influence of structural factors. Quantitative analysis of 357 Bangladeshi women in the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) provided a more detailed national context for the qualitative research.A cumulative qualitative design underpinned by reflexivity was used comprising focus groups and interviews with grandmothers, fathers, mothers and health practitioners. Sampling was purposive for the family and practitioner phases and theoretically-informed for the mothers’ interviews. Analysis used ethnographic and narrative approaches to make sense of individual experiences within social context.The main finding was that the breastfeeding support needs of women of Bangladeshi origin were generally similar to the majority population. However to improve breastfeeding support practitioners need to understand where cultural context makes a difference. Practitioners misrecognised diversity of the Bangladeshi population in the UK including how ethno-religious identities as a minority group within a hostile majority were constituted and impacted on women’s lives. The family context of breastfeeding, including living arrangements, household responsibilities and family relationships mediated women’s access to time and space for breastfeeding. While practitioners recognised these pressures on women, they were used to affirm stereotypes of women as passive. This combined with lack of confidence and organisational constraints led to practitioners feeling powerless to support breastfeeding. Alongside implementing good practice for breastfeeding and culturally competent care, health services could engage with families, provide bilingual advocacy workers and involve women in designing accessible breastfeeding support services.

Les groupes ethniques minoritaires sont parmi les secteurs de la société qui sont menacés en permanence par des risques plus élevés de catastrophes. Le fondement d'un tel constat est les impacts négatifs disproportionnés de catastrophes passées. Il est de ce fait nécessaire d'intégrer tous les groupes ethniques en particuliers les minorités dans la réduction des risques de catastrophe (RRC). Pourtant, la communauté scientifique a peu étudié le rôle de l’ethnicité dans la vulnérabilité et la capacité des populations exposées à divers aléas. Ainsi les praticiens sur le terrain et les organisations non-gouvernementales (ONG), ne possèdent pas de méthodes et d’outils appropriés pour intégrer les minorités ethniques dans la RRC. En plus, des exemples de méthodologies et de politiques visant à rendre cet objectif opérationnel et institutionnalisés sont également limités. Cette étude vise à répondre à ces lacunes, en prenant l’exemple des communautés multiethniques autour de Mont Kanlaon situé sur l'île de Negros aux Philippines. La zone d'étude se caractérise par une grande diversité ethnique composé d'au moins trois grands groupes ethniques (Ilonggos, Cebuanos et Bukidnons). Les résultats de cette étude suggèrent que cette mosaïque constitue une dimension importante de la RRC puisque chaque groupe ethnique possède ses propres formes de vulnérabilité et de capacité face aux aléas volcaniques et d’autres origines. Ces minorités ethniques sont parmi les secteurs les plus vulnérables de la société philippine en raison de leur statut marginalisés. En outre, les résultats de cette étude suggèrent que chaque groupe ethnique possède des capacités issues en grande partie de ressources locales qui sont utiles aux fins de la RRC. / The ethnic minority groups are among the sectors of the society who are permanently threatened by higher risk of disasters. The basis of such claim is the disproportionate negative impacts of both major and minor disasters. There is thus a pressing need to integrate ethnic minority groups in disaster risk reduction (DRR). However, within the scientific community, there are limited studies in the current literature of disaster that investigated the role of ethnicity in shaping the vulnerability and capacity of the ethnic groups. The authorities, non-government organizations (NGOs), and researchers have limited defined methods and tools to make such as objective operational in the field. Finally, plans, actions and policies to make such objective institutionalized are also limited. This study aimed to fulfill those gaps. The study has adapted an integrated DRR framework and a methodology that follows the ideals and principles of Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR). The present study focuses on the multiethnic communities surrounding Mt. Kanlaon located in the island of Negros, Philippines. The study area is characterized by a great ethnic diversity composed of at least three major ethnic groups (Ilonggos, Cebuanos, and Bukidnons). The results of the study suggest that this ethnic mosaic constituted a major dimension of DRR because each ethnic group portrays different vulnerabilities and capacities in the face of volcanic hazards and other natural hazards. These ethnic minorities are among the most vulnerable sectors of the Philippine society due to their marginalized and minority status. In addition, the results of this study also suggest that each ethnic group possesses capacities derived from local resources that are useful for the purpose of DRR.