Unit 8 Cultural Diversity

Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.2 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.3 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.4 Culture (continued)  Culture is learned  Culture is shared  Social in nature  Dynamic and constantly changing

Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.5 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.6 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.7 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.8 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.9 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.10 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.11 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.12 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.13 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.14 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