Cultural Differences Between Health And Social Care

Among the ethnic, socioeconomic and gender groups in South Africa, there are numerous factors that cause health imbalance within the country (i.e. - mortality rates in rural areas poverty, access to health-care etc.). The most stigmatized diseases that South Africa is portrayed to most likely contain are either ‘malnutrition’ or some kind of ‘sexually transmitted disease’; the least stigmatized is propelled toward the psychological aspect of healthcare. Culture and social class are quite contrasted within the realms of this society as the main form of heritage and culture are lost in translation toward the modernized region of society’s dividend; creating a clear perspective of the cultural vs. societal definition of illness.

Southern Africa

Psychological diseases are less discussed in the region of South Africa, it may be upon a brief mention in westernized society nevertheless due to the low educative prospects within rural areas there seems to be no understanding or comprehension of this concept. Unlike Canada or the U.S. where certain illnesses/disorders are categorized, i.e. - “contested” (Little, 2014, p.582); the South African society pays little attention to each disorder unless it is of life-threatening circumstance. Upon gathered information, there are sources that prove that mental illness has definitely evolved in certain regions of Southern Africa as there are specific institutions that cater/ treat such.

As discussed above the aspects of health vary from culture to society/ social class. Factors such as poverty, lack of education, gender stigmatization etc. do tend to be most prevalent within the subcultural/traditional regions where traditional healers are utilized compared to the westernized regions of modern medicine. Apartheid did, in fact, have a major impact on treatments depending on the social and ethnic background of a person which dictated their medical