WAC ASSIGNMENT IRISH Jessica Howard ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY Irish – WAC Assignment Irish history stretches beyond 5,000 years. Today, many core musical, dance, and language traditions are still rich within the Irish culture. The foundation of Irish culture is togetherness and family. Many holidays are shared with Irish-American culture. Some major celebrations include St. Partrick’s Day, St. Stephen’s Day 21st birthdays, and Easter. These holidays are typically celebrated by attending church and then a massive feast. What we would consider distant cousins, the Irish consider immediate family. For example, cousins and siblings are often extremely close. Men and women play specific roles within the Irish-American culture. For example, the mother-wife role is considered dominant within the household. Mothers and wives are expected to not work as it is detrimental to child-rearing, (Themes, 2019). The Irish are proud and best known for their warmth, mateship, and creativity. Based on geographical location, the religion practiced could be Catholicism or Protestantism, (Scroope, C.,2017). Social hierarchies are undesired. For example, having a higher level of education or wealth does not equal status. The socioeconomic status of those within the Irish culture are split between unemployed and employed. Value is placed on hard work. When it comes to relationships, public displays of affection, emotion, and attachment are allowed. (Scroope, C.,2017). One of the primary traditions within this culture is to enjoy traditional meals together such as Irish stew, bread and butter pudding, and bacon and cabbage. Wives and mothers are considered the “gatekeepers” for the food coming into the home. Some core foods include potatoes, fish, black tea with sugar and milk, beef, pork, and lamb. There is a high value placed on the art of conversation because this is how rapport is built, (Scroope, C.,2017). The Irish language is Gaeilge but English is very prominent within this culture. It is important for a healthcare provider should be cognizant of the importance of body 1 Irish – WAC Assignment language and non-verbal cues, (Ohr, S., Jeong, S., & Saul, P., 2017). Irish people tend to use a great deal of sarcasm and exaggeration during conversation. The most common diseases or conditions for the Irish are alcoholism, COPD, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, (Pericin, I., Larkin, J., & Collins, C., 2022). Celiac disease, the inability to process wheat glutens, is increasingly common within this community. As far as health beliefs, the Irish are less likely to schedule regular check-ups compared to the average American. This is important to consider when taking a patient history. When describing pain, Irish Americans do not distinctly describe pain. Descriptions of pain are more literal in nature. Irish Americans will describe eye pain as “sand in my eye”. When completing a head-to-toe assessment, the nurse must be cognizant of the descriptions of pain and history given by an IrishAmerican patient, (Themes, 2019). When it comes to end-of-life considerations, many IrishAmericans are unfamiliar with this process. They are increasingly more concerned with the quality of their dying compared to the death itself. Their religious beliefs also drive their view points on death and dying, (McCarthy, J., Weafer, J., & Loughrey, M, 2010). 2 3 Irish – WAC Assignment Reference Page McCarthy, J., Weafer, J., & Loughrey, M. (2010). Irish views on death and dying: a national survey. Journal of Medical Ethics, 36(8), 454–458. https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.2009.032615 Scroope, C. (2017). Irish Culture - Core Concepts. Cultural Atlas. https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/irish-culture/irish-culture-core-concepts Themes, U. F. O. (2019, December 29). Irish Americans. Nurse Key. https://nursekey.com/irish-americans/ Ohr, S., Jeong, S., & Saul, P. (2017). Cultural and religious beliefs and values, and their impact on preferences for end-of-life care among four ethnic groups of community-dwelling older persons. Journal of Clinical Nursing (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.), 26(11–12), 1681– 1689. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13572 Pericin, I., Larkin, J., & Collins, C. (2022). Diagnostic coding of chronic physical conditions in Irish general practice. Irish journal of medical science, 191(4), 1693–1699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-021-02748-3
