Chapter 8: Culture, Ethnicity, and Spirituality Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2 Many Faces of Culture  Multifaceted term; which can refer to many groups  Gender, age, socioeconomic status  Membership in social or sport groups  Organizational environments  Employment status  Mental or physical disability  Political affiliation  Education level

3 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Cultural Heritage  Behaviors passed on to future generations  Core component of ethnicity  Heritage consistency

4 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Acculturation  Acceptance of values and traditions of the host country

5 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Assimilation  Gradual process of developing a new cultural identity

6 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Cultural Awareness  Initial step toward effective interaction among individuals from different cultures.  Involves one’s own awareness of culture, including prejudices and biases towards other cultures.

7 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Aspects of Communication  Language  Space  Time orientation  Vary among different cultures

8 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Secondary Characteristics of Cultural Diversity  Socioeconomic status  Occupation  Education  Gender issues  Geographic place of residence  Length of time absent from the country of origin  Sexual orientation

9 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Subcultures  Exist in each major culture  Members develop new values that they honor more than the values of their dominant culture  Poverty is often a characteristic

10 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Cultural Diversity  Primary characteristics  Secondary characteristics  May have more powerful effect on individual’s cultural identity  Nurses avoid generalization or stereotyping on the basis of minimal information about the individual or culture

11 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Common Prejudices and Biases  Racism  The belief that members of one race are superior to those of other races  Sexism  The belief that members of one sex are superior to those of the other sex  Heterosexism  The belief that everyone is or should be heterosexual and that heterosexuality is best, normal, and superior

12 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Common Prejudices and Biases, cont’d.  Ageism  The belief that members of one age-group are superior to those of other ages  Ethnocentrism  The belief that one’s own cultural, ethnic, or professional group is superior to that of others  Xenophobia  The morbid fear of strangers and those who are not of one’s own ethic group

13 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Culture and Mental Illness Culture determines:  What behavior is normal/what is abnormal  What beliefs are acceptable/what are not  Concepts of mental health/mental illness  Acceptability of various treatment modalities

14 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Cultural Competence  Requires a respect for diversity  Understanding of attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, practices, and communication patterns of multiple cultures and their languages

15 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Spirituality  Influenced by culture, life experiences  Helps connect people to each other, the community, the world  Along with religion and faith, may be experienced and expressed in a variety of ways  Includes core beliefs about people, the divine, and relations between them

16 Copyright © 2012, 2007 Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Major Spiritual Issues  Loss  Fear  Death  Abandonment  Alienation