Unit 8 Cultural Diversity

8:1 Culture, Ethnicity, and Race Health care workers work with and provide care to many different people Respect the individuality of each person Be aware of factors that cause each person to be unique Major influence is cultural/ethnic heritage Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Culture Values, beliefs, attitudes, language, symbols, rituals, behaviors, and customs unique to a particular group of people Passed from one generation to next Often defined set of rules Foundation of behavior, but variances Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Culture (continued) Culture is learned Culture is shared Social in nature Dynamic and constantly changing Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Ethnicity Classification of people based on national origin and/or culture Share common heritage, national origin, social customs, language, and beliefs Influenced, but may not follow all beliefs Common ethnic groups Subgroups within larger ethnic groups Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Race Based on physical or biological factors Color of skin, hair, and eyes Facial features Blood types Bone structure Race cuts across multiple ethnic/cultural groups Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Cultural Diversity Differences among people resulting from cultural, ethnic, and racial factors These differences influence a person’s behavior Differences exist within ethnic/cultural groups United States called a “melting pot,” or is it more accurately a “salad bowl”? Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Acculturation Process of learning the beliefs and behaviors of a dominant culture and assuming some of the characteristics Every individual has unique blend of characteristics Need to develop sensitivity to differences Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

8:2 Bias, Prejudice, and Stereotyping Bias: preference that inhibits impartial judgment Prejudice: strong feelings or beliefs about a person or subject; pre-judging others without reviewing facts or information; often based on fear Stereotyping: making the assumption that everyone in a group is the same Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Bias, Prejudice, and Stereotyping (continued) Creates barriers to effective relationships Health care workers must be aware and avoid these feelings and assumptions Ways to avoid bias, prejudice, and stereotyping Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

8:3 Understanding Cultural Diversity Cultural and ethnic beliefs will affect behavior Health care workers must be aware of these beliefs to provide holistic care See Table 8-1 in text Language Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Understanding Cultural Diversity (continued) Personal space and touch Eye contact Gestures Health care beliefs Spirituality and religion (See Table 8-2 in text) Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Family Organization Nuclear Extended Patriarchal versus matriarchal Recognition and acceptance of family organization is essential for health care providers Talk with patient and ask questions to determine family organization preferences Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Respect Cultural Diversity Regard each individual as unique Everyone adopts beliefs and forms a pattern of behavior based on culture, ethnicity, race, life experiences, spirituality, and religion Inherent, but may alter with experiences Health care workers must be aware and respect differences Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.