Cultural
Awareness
Rationale
• Interact with people with different
cultural backgrounds
• Understand
– Acceptable behavior
– Offensive gestures
– terms
Objectives
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Culture influences behavior
Good communication techniques
Common folk medicine practices
Compare cultural differences
Cultural beliefs affects health workers
Cultural Influences
• People
– Parents
– Friends
• Places
– Home
– School
• Experiences
Prejudge
Prejudge- people make a decision before
having the facts.
• Age
• National
• Physical
• Religious
• Racial
Control Prejudice
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Keep an open mind
Look for additional information
Read to be informed
Look at resources before forming an
opinion
• Evaluate information
Close Contact Societies
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Latin America
Africa Indonesia
Southern Europe
Mediterranean
Distant Societies
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United States
Canada
Great Britain
Northern Europe
Different Meaning in Gestures
• American- O.K
• Asian- considered
an insult. Used to
call an animal
Different Meaning in Gestures
• American- O.K.
for “Come up
here”
• Asian- Insult, only
inferior people
would use it.
Different Meaning in Gestures
• American- O.K. for
pointing at
something or
someone
• Asian- O.K. to point
at something but
not at someone.
Different Meaning in Gestures
• American- Slight
threat when making
a point to someone
• Asian- Strong threat
made by a person of
a superior rank to
an inferior.
Conversation
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Speak clearly
Speak so that they can hear you
Do not raise your voice or yell
Speak in moderate tones
Pronounce the entire word
Folk Medicine
• Is a collection of custom beliefs passed
from generation to generation for
treating pain or illness.
Cultural
Traditions
Armenians
• Give mother a party one week after
baby is born
• Prohibit– Menstruating woman could not attend
church
– Take a shower
– Eat spicy food
Cambodians
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Use herbs as medicine
Use cupping for headaches
Use coining for pain
Color white sign of bad luck
Chinese
• Use herbs as medicine
• Practice acupuncture and use herbs
over puncture sites
• Use cupping with heated bamboo
Hmong and Mien Tribes
• Perform spiritual ceremonies to please
the spirits that cause illness
• Use herbal home remedies, including
opium
Central and South Americans
• Use herbal home remedies
• Menstruating woman cannot get their
head wet
• Cannot eat cucumbers, oranges, pork
and lard
Native American Indians
• Use herbs and spies
• Use modern medical practices
• Some rely on a shaman (medicine man)
to remove pain or evil spirits