Individualistic Approach In Health Care

"Activity Theory"

Activity theorists argue that psychological phenomena are formed as people engage in socially organized activity. Practical, socially organized activity is the primary cultural influence on psychology. Activity theorists maintain that activities such as science, schooling, art, writing, and reading stimulate distinctive kinds of psychological phenomena - e.g., communicating stimulates thinking. Activities do not express pre-formed, natural cognitive, emotional, or personality characteristics of the individual. On the contrary, artistic, literary, scientific, educational, and recreational activities generate psychological functions.

"Individualistic Approach"

This individualistic approach defines subculture as the outcome
of a negotiated interaction between an individual and social institutions-conditions. of their negotiations, interpretations, selections, and modifications of institutions-conditions, individuals "co-construct" culture. those psychologists argue that culture isn't imposed on passive topics; as an alternative people actively express themselves in the culture. individuals create meaning in their interpersonal interactions. The individualistic approach to cultural psychology is accurate in noting that individuals actively construct culture and assimilate cultural influences. culture does not function aside from individuals.
phrases which include culture, social institutions, social situations, school, work, and government need to be used with the understanding that they denote the activities (and the products of activities) of people instead of reified entities.

 Importance of ethno psychology in health care:

• Heighten awareness of ways in which their own faith system encounters with illness, suffering and death

• Foster understanding, respect and appreciation for the individuality and diversity of patients beliefs, values, spirituality and culture regarding illness, its meaning, cause, treatment, and outcome.
• Strengthen in their commitment to relationship- centered medicine that emphasizes care of the suffering person rather than attention simply more to the patho physiology of disease, and recognizes the physician as a dynamic component of that relationship.
• Facilitate in recognizing the role of the hospital chaplain and the patient's clergy as partners in the health care team in providing care for the patient.
• Encourage in developing and maintaining a program of physical, emotional and spiritual self-care therapies.

 Reasons for emerging concept of ethno
psychology:

Ethno Psychology needs to equally involve both intellectual and practical components, as we live in a country consisting of many different cultures, religions and levels of development. Many people in rural parts of the country may be perceived as not being intellectual, but this does not mean that they don’t have the mental abilities. Ethno Psychology should take into account indigenous people’s languages, philosophies and worldviews. It is through these worldviews and philosophies that people make sense of themselves and the world. It is essential to identify the cultural processes such as beliefs and values, or worldview, which are enforced by power elements such as political and economic factors, and behavioral practices.

B. Culture:

 Cultural beliefs and values about illness:

The ideology or worldview of a culture refers to the available symbols, meanings, and values about what is important and what behaviors are right and correct.
These beliefs and values are convictions about how a person should be, what is the right way to behave, and how one should be in the world. This is the link between the larger worldview of a culture and the individual psychological functioning of any given person. Mental health can be said to be the degree to which a person is able to fulfill the cultural expectations of his society (Fiske, et al, 1998; Markus and Katayama 1991; Saint Arnault, 1998).
It is also believed that illness and disease arise within a cultural and social context. culture offers the framework within the meaning of illness, and the vital care or cure that is
determined.

Other important beliefs about sources of illnesses are spiritual; Spiritual sources can be further sub divided into those involving human and non-human spirits and supernatural forces. There are many different cultural beliefs about the nature, location and character of the human spirit. Some cultures believe that the spirit can be captured, dislodged, or lost. These spiritual events can occur because of witchcraft, or as a result of some kind of traumatic experience. Non-human spirits include the spiritual nature of plants, animals, mountains, water and other non-human forms. Many non-western healing systems consider respect and recognition of these non-human spiritual forces essential for health. Disrespect and disconnection from them can lead to illness. Supernatural forces or spirits can include ancestors. Often, humans are called on in these systems to give offerings to ancestors. In most of these cases, there is a relationship between social conduct and spiritual sources of illness, such that people need to maintain good relationships with both other people and the spirits.

Also another belief about the source of illness, is that it comes from the outside or the environment. These external forces might be negative energies, germs, and elements such as cold, impurities, or negative or jealous thoughts. People holding these beliefs hold that inner strength, resistance and purity are important protections against invasion from these outside forces. This set of beliefs is related to the balance concept, because imbalance can make one vulnerable or weak, and therefore susceptible to these outside forces.