this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2025

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228

‘The nurse told me I couldn’t keep my baby’: how a controversial Danish ‘parenting test’ separated a Greenlandic woman from her children (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by pete_link@lemmy.ml to c/world@lemmy.world

35 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/32448865

Miranda Bryant in Thisted
Sun 29 Jun 2025 07.00 EDT

all 37 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 126 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (4 children)

simply being Greenlandic will be enough to get the attention of social workers.

The tests cover attachment, personality traits, cognitive abilities and psychopathology, and take about 15-20 hours. It is almost impossible to pass them, says Nellemann; even he and his colleagues have failed to do so.

I remember reading about this late last year, and I remember not trusting that social worker or the process one bit.
I once watched a documentary about this kind of "social service" and some of their methods are 100% unscientific, and don't take personality traits or just moods into account, like whether a person is extro- or introvert. I even posted about it on feddit.dk, but was met with much skepticism. One of the things I saw, was that if a baby doesn't seek eye contact with a stranger holding it, it should be a sign that the mother doesn't give the baby enough attention! Yes really it's that stupid! When obviously it's more likely the baby doesn't appreciate a stranger.

I can't put into words how much I despise that kind of quackery! Because that's what it is.
But quackery is unfortunately standard procedure in social services. And social services even trump real doctors, meaning quackery trumps real doctors by law!!
Quackery is illegal in Denmark, except in social services where it's an everyday phenomenon.

[–] ToastedRavioli@midwest.social 43 points 3 weeks ago

It’s worth copying that whole section, rather than just the first sentence. This shit is horrific and blatantly racist

The tests cover attachment, personality traits, cognitive abilities and psychopathology, and take about 15-20 hours. It is almost impossible to pass them, says Nellemann; even he and his colleagues have failed to do so. Questions can include “What is glass made of?” and “What is the name of the big staircase in Rome?” Nellemann argues that the tests are culturally specific and a poor way to measure innate intelligence. “There is a lot of stigmatisation of people from Greenland,” he says. “We don’t know why we should use these tests for parenting.”

When Keira was given the test, for Zammi, she says she was told it was to see if she was ‘civilised enough’

He even goes so far as to compare the tests to a tool of fascism. “You take only one kind of people as the ‘real’ ones. We only choose the white, or ‘real’, Danish people.”

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 29 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I haven't read the article yet (sneaking Lemmy time at work), but this reminds of the literacy tests they used to use for voting in the US for black folks

[–] Hobo@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Exactly what popped into my head too. They also had questions that were ambiguous. "What's the big staircase in Rome?" doesn't really have a single correct answer much like many of the literacy tests in the Jim Crow south.

[–] hr_@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

Because they are the same thing

[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 20 points 3 weeks ago

One of the things I saw, was that if a baby doesn’t seek eye contact with a stranger holding it, it should be a sign that the mother doesn’t give the baby enough attention!

That's so messed up. Newborns are born with poor vision. "At birth, an infant is very sensitive to bright light. You may notice how small their pupils look, limiting how much light enters their eyes. A newborn baby can see something next to them with their peripheral (side) vision, but their central vision is still developing."

It takes time for their vision to develop. From that same source, "At about 1 month, your baby may focus briefly on you, but may still prefer brightly colored objects up to 3 feet away. Infants are able to see across a room even at birth, but they are mostly interested in objects very close to them."

[–] redsand@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 weeks ago

France makes great use of quacks. Gordon Ramsey has some instructional videos.

[–] killea@lemmy.world 53 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

After recoiling in horror and delving in, it does appear that they have stopped using this test as of January this year (search: Denmark FKU). I don't know if this woman has gotten her children back but its clear a lot of damage has been done already. Hardline institutional racism always make me wonder what is so upsetting as to justify such blind and heinous cruelties. It doesn't seem natural, to predate on your own species.

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 35 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I don’t know if this woman has gotten her children back

Probably not, the standard mode for social workers/services I've seen here in Denmark, is to double down, no matter how wrong their original decision was. It was their decision, and they are right by law, and it basically can't be questioned.

[–] pixxelkick@lemmy.world 43 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

As a Canadian, all I can say is "hey wait a minute, I've seen this one before!"

I'm shocked this sorta shit still happens in 2025, how did this come into being? Thus might be a rabbit hole I go down, who founded this program, who vetted it, etc

[–] ms_lane@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

We had this in Australia too :(

[–] The_Decryptor@aussie.zone 9 points 3 weeks ago

We still do.

[–] CircaV@lemmy.ca 39 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Racist colonialist shit. They did the exact same thing to Inuit and First Nations women and babies here in Canada.

[–] TediousLength@lemmy.ca 31 points 3 weeks ago

Absolutely disgusting... Completely biased and clearly racist test. Fucking fascists everywhere...

[–] dastanktal@lemmy.ml 19 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

And here I thought the US was the one that treated our indigenous citizens like crap

[–] protist@mander.xyz 18 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You do realize the people doing that in the US all came from Europe

[–] dastanktal@lemmy.ml 9 points 3 weeks ago

Fair counterpoint. I should have but did not

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 10 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Show me one place where indigenous people aren't treated like crap by the government

[–] grysbok@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 3 weeks ago

Haiti. The indigenous people were wiped out through disease and slavery.

[–] dastanktal@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Also good point. I guess New Zealand has been making strides by they are still having issues.

Just funny to note because a lot of Americans view Europe as like this Ultra free place that has none of the issues the US has.

[–] MBech@feddit.dk 5 points 3 weeks ago

We usually don't have these issues because we experimented away from home.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

New Zealand recently just punished three politicians harshly for doing the Haka. They were protesting a proposed law to strip special constitutional privileges for the Maori stemming from the original colonial treaties. Those old British colonizers were apparently too respectful to the rights of the indigenous people for modern conservatives.

[–] dastanktal@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago

I did say strides but having issues. At least they have indigenous representation. US def doesnt

[–] elbarto777@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

White European indigenous people.

What a strange question.

[–] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

To be fair, indigenous in this sort of context usually refers to a colonial state where the ruling group is different from the one there before a colonial empire got there. I don't usually see it used for populations that haven't been subject to conquest and occupation like that within the last millenia or so, even if it could technically fit, it'd be a bit redundant.

Though if the history of, say, Ireland is any indication, historically when white Europeans end up in that kind of position they haven't faired much better.

[–] elbarto777@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Sorry, I was just being dense for the sake of it; and you of course, are correct.

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

Why not both (and many other countries too)?

[–] CXORA@aussie.zone 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

So you don't really pay attention to the rest of world history, huh.

[–] dastanktal@lemmy.ml -1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Jokes really do go over your heads down under don't they.

Also have you seen the tragedy that is the American school system? I am lucky I can read and write, forget knowing the history of a British penal colony.

[–] CXORA@aussie.zone 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Greenland. British penal colony.

Ok.

[–] dastanktal@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

For some reason I think I was referring to Australia. Not sure why

[–] CXORA@aussie.zone 1 points 3 weeks ago

Must be a fondness of non sequiturs

[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

What's going on in Denmark?

https://sundayguardianlive.com/culture/single-mother-lost-children-denmark

https://sundayguardianlive.com/lifestyle/12753-tragic-tale-loss-world-s-happiest-country