Unit 6
Cultural Diversity (Don’t Write)
 Health
care providers must work with
and provide care to many different
people. They must also respect the
individuality of each person.
 A major influence on any individual’s
uniqueness is the person’s
cultural/ethnic heritage
Cultural Diversity (Don’t Write)
 Factors
of individual uniqueness:
 Physical characteristics
 Family life
 Socioeconomic status
 Religious beliefs
 Geographical location
 Education
 Occupation
 Life experiences
Cultural Diversity (Write)
 Culture
 Values, beliefs, attitudes, languages,
symbols, rituals, behaviors, and customs
which are unique to a particular group of
people and passed on from one
generation to the next
 Set of Rules
 Blueprint or general design for living
Cultural Diversity
 Culture
 Influenced by culture:
○ Family relations
○ Child rearing (raising)
○ Education
○ Occupational choice
○ Social interactions
○ Spirituality
○ Religious beliefs
Cultural Diversity
 Culture
 Influenced by culture:
○ Food preferences
○ Health beliefs
○ Health care
 Culture
is NOT uniform among all
members within a cultural group, but does
provide a foundation for behavior
Cultural Diversity
 Culture
 All cultures have 4 basic characteristics:
1. Culture is learned
○
○
○
Culture does not just happen
It is taught to others
Children learn patterns of behavior by
imitating adults and developing
attitudes accepted by others
Cultural Diversity
 Culture
 All cultures have 4 basic characteristics:
2. Culture is shared:
○
Common practices and beliefs are
shared with others in a cultural group
3. Culture is social in nature:
○
Individuals in a cultural group
understand appropriate behavior
based on traditions passed from
generation to generation
Cultural Diversity
 Culture
 All cultures have 4 basic characteristics:
4. Culture is dynamic & constantly
changing:
○
○
New ideas may generate different
standards for behavior
Needs of the group are met through
change
Cultural Diversity
 Ethnicity
 Classification of people based on natural
origin and/or culture
 Share common heritage, national origin,
social customs, language and beliefs
 Even though every individual in the
group may not practice all beliefs, the
individual is still influenced by other
members of the group
Cultural Diversity
 Ethnicity
 Common groups in U.S. & countries of
origin:
○ African American: Central & South
African countries, Dominican Republic,
Haiti, Jamaica
○ Asian American: Cambodia, China,
Hawaii, India, Indonesia & Pacific Island
countries, Japan, Korea, Laos, Pakistan,
Philippines, Samoa, Vietnam
Cultural Diversity
 Ethnicity
 Common groups in U.S. & countries of
origin:
○ European American: England, France,
Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Russia,
Scandinavia, Scotland
○ Hispanic American: Cuba, Mexico,
Puerto Rico, Spain, & Spanish speaking
countries in Central and South America
Cultural Diversity
 Ethnicity
 Common groups in U.S. & countries of
origin:
○ Middle Eastern/Arab American: Egypt,
Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine,
Saudi Arabia, Yemen & other North
African & Middle Eastern countries
○ Native American: Over 500 tribes of
American Indians and Eskimos
Cultural Diversity
 Ethnicity
 It is important to recognize that within
each of the ethnic groups there are
numerous subgroups, each with it’s own
lifestyle and beliefs.
 Example:
○ European American group includes Italians
and Germans; each has different languages
and lifestyles
Cultural Diversity
 Race
 Classification of people based on
physical, or biological characteristics
○ Color of skin, hair, eyes
○ Facial features
○ Blood type
○ Bone structure
 Frequently used to label a group of
people and explain patterns of behavior
Cultural Diversity
 Race
 Values, beliefs and behaviors learned
from the ethnic/cultural group that
generally account for behaviors
attributed to race (Example Below)
○ Blacks from Africa and blacks from the
Caribbean share many of the same
physical characteristics, but they
represent different ethnic groups and
have different cultural beliefs and values
Cultural Diversity
 Race
 There are also different races present in
most ethnic groups
○ White & black Hispanics
○ White African & Carribbeans
○ White & Black Asians
Cultural Diversity
 Cultural
Diversity
 Differences among people resulting from
cultural, ethnic and racial factors
 Cultural Assimilation
 The absorption of other cultures into the
dominant culture
 The U.S. seen as “melting pot”
 Requires that cultural groups alter
beliefs and behaviors (mercy killings)
Cultural Diversity
 Acculturation
 Learning the beliefs and behaviors of
the dominant culture
 Assuming some characteristics of the
dominant culture
 Occurs slowly over long periods of time
 Sensitivity
 The ability to recognize and appreciate
the personal characteristics of others
Cultural Diversity
 Sensitivity
 Example: In Native American and Asian
cultures, calling a patient by their first
name is disrespectful
 Health care workers will always address
patients (or residents) by their last
name, unless the patient requests to be
addressed by their first name or
nickname.
Cultural Diversity
 Bias
 A preference that prevents impartial
judgment
 Ethnocentric: believe that their ethnic
group is supreme above all other groups
○ May antagonize or be unfriendly toward
people from other cultures
Cultural Diversity
 Bias
 Examples of common biases:
 Age: young people believing that they are
physically and mentally superior to older
people
 Education: college-educated individuals
believing that they are superior to
uneducated individuals
 Economic: wealthy people believing that
they are superior to the less wealthy
Cultural Diversity
 Bias
 Examples of common biases:
 Physical appearance: thin people
believing that they are superior to obese
people
 Occupation: physicians believing that
nurses are inferior medical professionals
 Sexual preference: Heterosexuals
believing that homosexuals are inferior
 Gender: Men believing women are inferior.
Cultural Diversity
 Prejudice
 Strong feeling about a person or subject;
to prejudge
 Formed without reviewing facts or
information
 They are right; everyone else is wrong
 ALL individuals are prejudice to some
degree
Cultural Diversity
 Stereotyping
 Assumption made that everyone in a
particular group is the same
 Individual characteristics are ignored
 Individuals are “labeled”
 Example:
○ “All blondes are dumb”
Cultural Diversity
 Stereotyping
 There is NO room for stereotyping of
any kind in health care.
 Avoid jokes
 With patients: Be open about subjects
you would normally not even discuss
 Evaluate all information before you form
an opinion
 You are a professional
Cultural Diversity
 Family
Organization
 Families vary in their composition and in
the roles assumed by family members
 Two Types:
○ Nuclear family: mother, father, children
(biological or “step”)
○ People outside family usually care for
children, sick or elderly
Cultural Diversity
 Family
Organization
 Two Types:
○ Extended family: nuclear family plus
grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins
○ Families tend to take care of their children,
sick or elderly
○ Hispanic / Asian Cultures
Cultural Diversity
 Family
Organization
 Patriarch / Matriarch:
 Patriarchal Family: Father or oldest male
is authority figure
○ Will make most health care decisions for all
family members
○ Asian / Middle Eastern cultures believe that
the male has the power and authority and
women are expected to be obedient
○ Husbands makes medical decisions for wife
Cultural Diversity
 Family
Organization
 Patriarch / Matriarch:
 Matriarchal Family: Mother or oldest
female is authority figure
○ Will make most health care decisions for all
family members
○ Mother and father may make some
decisions together
○ “I have to check with my husband (wife)
before making a decision.”
Cultural Diversity
 Language
 20% of the U.S. population speaks a
language other than English at home
 Different dialects
 May speak English, but not read it.
 Find Translator
Cultural Diversity
 Language
 For health care workers:
○ Nonverbal communication is very
important (smile, gentle touch - if
culturally appropriate)
○ Communication boards
○ Most states require that any medical
permit requiring a written signature be
printed in the patient’s primary language
Cultural Diversity
 Language
 For health care workers – DO NOT:
○ Express frustration because the patient
does not speak English
○ Be offended if patient or family members
communicate in their primary language,
even if the patient speaks English
Cultural Diversity
 Language
 For health care workers – DO NOT:
○ Speak inappropriately to other staff
about a patient (EVER) because you
think they do not understand what you
are saying.
○ Laugh or make fun of the words or
foreign language spoken
○ Forget that your patient does not
understand, is likely scared & needs help
Cultural Diversity
 Personal
Space and Touch
 Distance that people require to feel
comfortable while interacting with others
 Varies greatly among different cultures
 Close Contact vs. Distant Contact
Cultures
Cultural Diversity
 Personal
Space and Touch
 Close Contact Cultures
○ Arabs: touch, feel, and smell people with
whom they interact
○ French and Latin Americans: stand very
close together while interacting
○ Hispanics: hugs and handshakes to greet
others
Cultural Diversity
 Personal
Space and Touch
 Distant Contact Cultures
○ European and African: may shake hands
as a greeting, but want 2-6 feet
separation during interaction
○ Asians: stand close together, but not
touch; kissing, hugging seen as very
intimate acts and are NEVER done in
public.
Cultural Diversity
 Personal
Space and Touch
 Distant Contact Cultures
○ Cambodians: all members of opposite
sex – even if related – never touch each
other; only parent can touch the head of
a child
○ Vietnamese: only elderly to touch head of
a child because head is considered
sacred
Cultural Diversity
 Personal
Space and Touch
 Distant Contact Cultures
○ Middle Eastern: men may not touch
females who are not immediate family;
only men can shake hands with other
men; may cause female patients to
refuse care from male nurse.
○ Native Americans: value personal space
as important; will only lightly touch other
person’s hand when greeting
Cultural Diversity
 Eye
Contact
 Europeans: regard eye contact as sign
of interest and trustworthiness
 Asians: consider direct eye contact rude
 Native Americans: use peripheral vision
to avoid direct eye contact
 Hispanic & African Americans: brief eye
contact, but then look away as a sign of
respect and attentiveness
Cultural Diversity
 Gestures
 US: nodding head up & down means
“yes” and side-to-side for “no”
 India: head motions for “yes” and “no
are exact opposite
 US: pointing is accepted
 Asian & Native Americans: pointing is
seen as a serious threat
Cultural Diversity
 Gestures
 US: “OK” hand gesture
 Asian Culture: can be seen as an insult
End of Lecture