Cultural Views 0n Health
Cultural Views on Health
HCA/230 Communication Skills for the Health Care Professional (AXIA)
Cultural Views on Health
The world is different in many ways and one of the ways is the difference in culture. For instance in Malawi young women get AIDS more prevalently than men because they are not allowed to ask for the use of protection (Hawthorne, 2003). A set of practices, rules, and beliefs and practices that are shared by a group of people is referred to as being culture. The assumptions in some cultures prove how some members of that culture should act, how different actions and events should be interpreted, and what the roles of theses members should be. All around the world countries have their view on health whether it is good health or bad health and how it should be dealt with. The different views on illness and health have a profound affect on health communication. One of the reasons why there are so many different views is because of the many religious views of the cultures along with the resources available. There are many poor countries in the world and they might not have the technologies or the assets to do things that a country that is more developed may do. Considering cultural views on health is a prerequisite for providing better health around the world. Without being familiar with the different cultures around the world the wrong, unfamiliar, or offensive care could be given to someone unknowingly. For example, as stated in the Axia College Week Six Reading (2004), there are some Russian cultures where the patients are under the assumption that the doctors that do not wear lab coats are incompetent and act informally. On the other hand, in America people tend to like physicians that appear more casual and friendly (Axia College, 2004, Week Six Reading). In this case a culture disdains what another culture seems to like. Cultures conceptualize health in many ways. According to Axia College Week Six Reading (2004), some
HCA/230 Communication Skills for the Health Care Professional (AXIA)
Cultural Views on Health
The world is different in many ways and one of the ways is the difference in culture. For instance in Malawi young women get AIDS more prevalently than men because they are not allowed to ask for the use of protection (Hawthorne, 2003). A set of practices, rules, and beliefs and practices that are shared by a group of people is referred to as being culture. The assumptions in some cultures prove how some members of that culture should act, how different actions and events should be interpreted, and what the roles of theses members should be. All around the world countries have their view on health whether it is good health or bad health and how it should be dealt with. The different views on illness and health have a profound affect on health communication. One of the reasons why there are so many different views is because of the many religious views of the cultures along with the resources available. There are many poor countries in the world and they might not have the technologies or the assets to do things that a country that is more developed may do. Considering cultural views on health is a prerequisite for providing better health around the world. Without being familiar with the different cultures around the world the wrong, unfamiliar, or offensive care could be given to someone unknowingly. For example, as stated in the Axia College Week Six Reading (2004), there are some Russian cultures where the patients are under the assumption that the doctors that do not wear lab coats are incompetent and act informally. On the other hand, in America people tend to like physicians that appear more casual and friendly (Axia College, 2004, Week Six Reading). In this case a culture disdains what another culture seems to like. Cultures conceptualize health in many ways. According to Axia College Week Six Reading (2004), some