Culture and Ethnicity Overview

Culture and Ethnicity

• Culture encompasses values, beliefs, and practices of a specific group.
• It includes learned attitudes and customs from socialization with others.
• Culture encompasses language, communication styles, traditions, religion, art, music, dress, health beliefs, and health practices.
• A group's culture is passed down through generations.

Culture Characteristics

• Culture is learned from birth.
• It is shared among members of a group.
• Culture is influenced by environment, technology, and available resources.
• Culture is dynamic and ever-changing.

Race

• Cultural groups often share biological and physiological similarities.
• Race categorizes people based on genetically shared physical traits.

Minority

• A minority group differs from the dominant group in terms of cultural characteristics.
• Examples are language differences, physical characteristics (like skin color), or both.
• Being a minority doesn't necessarily mean fewer members compared to other groups in society.
• It refers to a group's power and control status relative to other groups.

Ethnicity

• Ethnicity is a bond or kinship a person feels toward their country of birth or place of ancestral origin.
• Ethnicity can exist even if individuals have not lived in their ancestral birthplace.
• Pride in ethnicity is demonstrated through valuing physical characteristics, choosing ethnic names for children, wearing unique clothing, and enjoying folk music and dance.
• Eating traditional native food is another example of demonstrating pride in one's ethnicity.

Cultural Mixture and Shock

• When distinct cultural groups mix, unique differences become more apparent.
• Often seen at borders of countries or through immigration.
• One or both groups may experience cultural shock (disorientation due to unfamiliar behavior).

Race and Ethnicity--Social Definitions

• Race is socially defined based on physical characteristics.
• Ethnicity is socially defined based on cultural criteria.
• Social boundaries are continually validated through interaction with members of other ethnic groups.

Transcultural Nursing

• Transcultural nursing focuses on providing care considering a patient's culture.
• Aspects include cultural assessments, recognizing individuals as unique, and knowledge of health problems in different cultures.
• Care is tailored to the client's health belief system to achieve optimal outcomes.
• Nurses must manage language barriers and respect specific beliefs and practices concerning illness and healthcare.

Cultural Assessment

• Gathering data about a client's unique characteristics is crucial for culturally sensitive care.
• Data include language, communication preferences, hygiene practices (including feelings about modesty), clothing, religion, religious practices, birth rituals, gender roles, child-rearing practices, kinship with older adults, forms of greeting, dietary restrictions, decision-making methods, and health/medical beliefs.

Beliefs Concerning Illness

• People hold diverse views about the causes of illness.
• One model is biomedical/scientific, where illness is attributed to microorganisms.
• Another model is naturalistic/holistic, where illness results from imbalances in the natural order.
• The third approach is magico-religious, where supernatural forces cause illness.

Health Beliefs and Practices

• Health beliefs and practices vary greatly among different groups in the US.
• Cultural factors greatly influence health practices and disease prevention methods.
• "Folk medicine" refers to health and healing methods outside of conventional practice.
• Lay providers give treatments rather than formally educated physicians.
• Cultural views on particular health issues often influence health decisions and practices.
• Various alternative health beliefs and practices can exist alongside conventional medicine.

Culturally Sensitive Nursing

• Understanding the multicultural nature of the United States is the first step toward transcultural care.
• Nurses need to be able to communicate appropriately, using culturally sensitive techniques.
• Familiarity with physical differences between ethnic groups, performing accurate physical assessments, and asking about cultural healing practices
• A culturally sensitive nurse needs to include considerations for medical or healing beliefs and practices.

Practicing Culturally Sensitive Care

• Avoid ridiculing cultural beliefs or practices.
• Integrate helpful, culturally appropriate practices within treatment plans.
• Adjust harmful or unsafe traditional practices if necessary.
• Provide customary foods if possible.
• Be proactive in screening for diseases common to clients based on genetic or cultural predisposition.
• Facilitate rituals or practices of the client's designated healers.
• Apologize promptly if client cultural traditions or beliefs are unintentionally infringed upon through any action.