What is culture? Well culture is not a genetic element of human beings it is a learned part of their personality
Kellie Blackwelder
3 posts
Re: Topic 3 DQ 1
What is culture? Well culture is not a genetic element of human beings it is a learned part of their personality and the way that they live. Falvo explains, “Culture is the characteristic pattern of attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors shared by members of a society or population. Members of a cultural group share characteristics that distinguish them from other groups” (Falvo, 2004). With culture being unique to every individual group, it makes it extremely important for health care providers to learn about the different cultures that exist. By becoming culturally competent, it allows the health care provider to provide appropriate care, education, and increase patient outcomes and satisfaction.
A culture in the United States that have been around for years is the Native American culture. There are over 3 million Native Americans in the United States spread across more than five hundred federally recognized nations (Roessel, 2020). This culture is also known as the indigenous culture. They have experienced a long history of trauma such as forced migration and imprisonments for practicing culture (Roessel, 2020). The indigenous culture experiences higher rates of suicide, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, PTSD, and other mental illnesses. They also have a higher rate of death from preventable diseases. Diabetes and Heart disease are high on the list of preventable illnesses that are taking the lives of indigenous people (Roessel, 2020). One main cause of this is lack of prevention and willingness to seek health care. Roessel explains, “Many Indigenous people feel stereotyped, ignored, and disrespected by non-Indigenous providers. Many programs serving Indigenous people are often not culturally relevant or sensitive to the significant trauma within Indigenous communities” (Roessel, 2020).
Communication within the Native American Culture is primarily English but the way they communicate is different for other cultures. They are typically very quiet people. They enjoy silence and to listen more than communicating. Some may think they are mad or upset due to the lack of communication but it is not necessarily true. Marah Rice explains, “There is much more emphasis on affective communication, such as expressing their feelings about something, rather than just verbal communication” (Rice, n.d.). Family dynamics are also different as family is extended and many family members become caregivers for the elder. Grandbois explains, “Many elders need family to be present during contact with health care providers for emotional support, as well as to ask providers questions and synthesize information. Some Native elders are timid in the presence of physicians” (Grandbois, 2012). Many Native American cultures try to provide care to their own population before seeking medical assistance. They use remedies and herbal treatments to treat the population as well as spiritual means.
Education for this culture should be provided in easy to understand terms. Health care providers will need to understand that the culture tends to be quiet and rather listen so they may not have much of a response during education. This does not mean they are ignoring the teaching but they are silent for processing information. Teaching should be done with requested family present. “Native elders may incorporate traditional healing practices into treatment or wellness practices. Nurses need to be supportive of these choices and provide privacy for ceremonial healing activities” (Grandbois, 2012).
Falvo, D. (2004). Individual factors in patient teaching and patient adherence. Effective Patient Education: A Guide to Increased Adherence. Retrieved from https://viewer.gcu.edu/RQBKXW
Grandbois, D. (2012). The impact of history and culture on nursing care of Native American elders. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 38(10): 3-5. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20120911-01
Rice, M. (n.d.). Cultural Differences in Communication. Native American. Retrieved from https://unioncollegenativeamericans.weebly.com/cultural-differences-in-communication.html
Megan Ring
3 posts
Re: Topic 3 DQ 1
According to Falvo (2011), culture is something that is learned, practiced, and communicated from one generation to another by specific groups within the culture. A culture can be composed of specific attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors.
The American Indian culture is one example of a culture that mostly resides in the United States. This specific population’s values, “lean toward a cosmic identity, a harmony of the individual with the tribe, and the tripe with the land, and the land with the spirit of the universe (Duran, 2002). They strongly believe that a man is inherently good and should be respected for his decisions, which correlates to why a male figure is selected as their form of a leader. The American Indians rarely put their trust into a person outside of their culture. Religion plays a role in their cultural lifestyle, by the tribes performing rites and rituals to ensure a person’s spirit. Most American Indians speak the Navajo language or the Comanche language, which are both essential for their culture identity (Schumpman, 2007).
Indian values are practiced on a daily basis and are re-enforced through the use of special ceremonies. Their main values include: Happiness, sharing, tribe and extended family first (before self), honor your elders, learning is through legends, look to traditions, work for purpose, time is only relative, oriented to land, cherish the memories of youth, don’t criticize your people, live like the animals, cherish your language, children are a gift of the Great Spirit, few rules are best, and religion is the universe (Duran, 2002).
Health care professionals must take the American Indian’s culture into consideration while caring for a person of this culture. Nursing cares and patient education still need to occur, regardless of the culture. First and foremost, a health care professional must remain un-bias and judgement-free of any culture that may differ from their own. The incorporation and respect of the patient’s own culture will promote optimal health-related outcomes, as the patient will be more compliant (Falvo, 2011).
If the patient speaks another language, it is essential to provide an interpreter. You cannot use family as an interpreter for medical care. Show your respect for the patient by asking them what they value most regarding their health and healthcare, as well as how they learn best. It is also important to assess their access to specific resources that may be need for further treatment options. Still allow the patient to access treatments that are non-traditional to the hospital setting, as this may be what they trust most. American Indians socially have a hard time trusting members outside of their tribe. It is important to find common ground and understanding in order to provide health-related education. Let the patient know that their home remedies and practices are equally as important. It is essential to be respectful, thoughtful, and caring while providing education that the patient may already be hesitant too. Always ask if there are additional people, services, or practices that they need to have incorporated with their health-care plans and treatments. When this is included as a part of the patient education, the patient will be more adherent to learning and understanding why you are trying to teach.
Resources:
Duran, B. E. S. (2002). Wellness Courts. American Indian Belief Systems and Traditional Practices, 1–5. http://www.wellnesscourts.org/files/Duran%20-%20American%20Indian%20Belief%20Systems.pdf
Falvo, D. (2011). Effective patient education: a guide to increased adherence. (4th ed.). Retrieved from: https://www/gcumedia.com/digital-resources/jones-and-bartlett-2010/effective-patient-education_a-guide-to-increased-adherence_ebook_4d.php
Schupman, E. & Smithsonian Institution. (2007). Native Words, Native Warriors. National Museum of the American Indian. https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/code-talkers/
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Donna Reamer
3 posts
Re: Topic 3 DQ 1
The attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors of a population is the definition of a culture and consists of many elements like language, customs, beliefs, traditions, and communication (Falvo, 2011). Mexico is the 12th most populated country in the world estimated at 123 million people (Zimmerman, 2017).
Language. 92.7 percent of the Mexican population speak Spanish with approximately 6 percent speaking Spanish as well as other native languages including Mayan, Nahuatl and others. (Zimmerman, 2017).
Family. Family is one of the most important aspects of the Mexican culture. Families tend to be large with members accepting responsibility for immediate and extended family. Parents are respected (Zimmerman, 2017).
Culture. Mexico has several ethnic groups within their population – The mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) group is 62 percent of the population, with Amerindians alone making up 21 percent, and 10 percent is white. These groups all together make up a culture that is unique to Mexico (Zimmerman, 2017).
Method of Communication. Methods of communication are both verbal and non-verbal. This culture is physical often standing close when talking and frequently using hand gestures during conversation (Evason, 2018).
Evason, N. (2018). Mexican culture. Cultural Atlas. Retrieved from https://cultural atlas.sbs.com.au/Mexican-culture-communication
Falvo, D. (2011). Effective patient education: A guide to increased adherence. Retrieved from http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/jonesandbartlett/2010/effective-patient-education_-a-guide-to-increased-adherence_ebook_4e.php
Zimmerman, K. (2017). Mexican culture: Customs & Traditions. Live Science. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/38647-mexican-culture-html
1 posts
Re: Topic 3 DQ 2
Kellie Blackwelder
1 posts
Culture is something that is learned or taught to a group of people. It is the characteristics and knowledge of the group including language, religion, morals, clothing, food preference, social habits, music, and type of arts (Zimmermann, 2017). They can also be described as patterns of behaviors, social interactions, and cognitive constructs that are learned by socialization (Zimmermann, 2017). Culture and Ethnicity are very similar as they both describe a group of people that share similar languages and shared learned behavior. Amy Morin explains, “The term is used to categorize groups of people according to their cultural expression and identification. Commonalities such as racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin may be used to describe someone’s ethnicity” (Morin, 2020). With culture and ethnicity being very similar the main big different between the two is that ethnicity can be broader by identifying a person by where they are from or where they live.
Acculturation is the practice of a person from one cultural group adapting to a larger cultural group while keeping their original culture (Cole, 2019). This can happen by a minority culture adapting the values of a majority culture or a majority can adapt to minority. Either way they take on new customs, languages, religions, morals, values, clothing, food, music, or social habits. Cole explains, “Acculturation is a process of cultural contact and exchange through which a person or group comes to adopt certain values and practices of a culture that is not originally their own, to a greater or lesser extent. The result is that the original culture of the person or group remains, but it is changed by this process” (Cole, 2019).
When comparing acculturation to culture, they both deal with groups of people and the identified culture. The difference is that acculturation is taking on more than one culture and combining them. Acculturation could certainly be like ethnicity because ethnicity could be a group of people made up by one than one culture which would be a form or acculturation. Ethnicity has more to do with where a person is from and their culture. All three terms work together to describe a person as well as describing a specific group of people. Each other is a different way of describing a person or group.
Cole, N. (2019). Understanding acculturation and why it happens. Thought Co. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/acculturation-definition-3026039
Morin, A. (2020). The difference between race and ethnicity. Very Well Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/difference-between-race-and-ethnicity-5074205
Zimmermann, K. (2017). What is culture? Live Science. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/21478-what-is-culture-definition-of-culture.html
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Amber Middlesworth
2 posts
Re: Topic 3 DQ 2
By definition “the in?uences of society on an individual are known as culture” (Patient Adherence as an Outcome of Effective Patient Teaching, 2011). A patient’s attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviors are shared by a group of individuals in a population; it could be in a country, a town or a community. A patient’s culture is not always their ethnicity. Cultural traditions or beliefs are usually handed down from generation to generation; they also define a person’s identity and lifestyle, but these beliefs and traditions can change over time due to outside influences or due to family movement. These beliefs affect how other cultures view healthcare and healthcare personnel, their adherence to treatment plans and how they view illness. As an example, This Catholic Irish/Italian/American follows a little of every culture and traditions from my ancestors with some added American flair. The culture we as a family follows different traditions depending on the time of year.
Ethnicity is biological and racial per Falvo, (2011) (167). It is the land or area you come from but not necessarily represents the culture that the patient believes. An example is we as Americans have many ethnicities we are a melting pot, yet we all have different cultures in which we associate or believe in. Some healthcare workers assume that from a patient’s last name their ethnicity or their culture.
The term “acculturation, a term related to the individual’s adaptation to the customs, values, and behaviors of a new culture” (Patient Adherence as an Outcome of Effective Patient Teaching, 2011)(168). Now that each term has been defined, let us discuss them. Culture and ethnicity are sometimes used interchangeably but they are distinct. A person’s ethnicity does not always represent their culture as healthcare workers tend to label a patient by their name or their language without questioning their beliefs, their customs or their attitudes. A patient could have acculturated into a totally different culture depending on their experience with their prior culture.
References
Patient Adherence as an Outcome of Effective Patient Teaching. (2011). In D. R. Falvo, Effective Patient Education a guide to increased adherance (p. 2). Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Kay-Dean Jackson
2 posts
Re: Topic 3 DQ 2
According to Purnell (2013), culture is the totality of transmitted behavioral patterns, arts, beliefs, values, customs, lifeways and all other products of human work and thought characteristics of a population of people that guide their worldviews and decision making. Ethnicity refers to shared cultural practices, perspectives, and distinctions that sets apart one group of people from another whereas acculturation occurs when a person gives up the traits of his culture of origin as a result of contact with another.
Culture can represent a nation. Cultural practices are learned from birth and taught throughout life. For example, art, food, mannerism, folk medicine etc. Culture can vary within one nation. On the other hand, ethnicity cannot vary. People of the same ethnic group will have the same ancestry, and language but their religion and dress has changed over time because of assimilation and other factors such as weather. Acculturation is not absolute and has varying degrees. For instance, people of Asian descent that first migrated to the United States value their culture and hope to pass it down to other generations. It is not the case because the second or third generation of Asian immigrants may perhaps speak English as their first language. Due to the interaction of children in school or other social places, their mannerisms, body language, dress etc. goes through transformation.
References
Purnell, L. D. (2013). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis.
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