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List and explain the similarities between race and ethnicity
Essay on racism and health disparities
Essay on racism and health disparities
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Module 2 Reflection During module 2 we focused on the topics of race, ethnicity, and cultural competency. In our textbook, Barr explains that it is important to understand how race and ethnicity are used and what they mean in order to potentially reduce health disparities in our society. We often refer to race and ethnicity as one in the same, but they actually have very distinct differences. “Race is associated with biology, whereas ethnicity is associated with culture.” (Live science, 2014) Race can be described as having common ancestry and as having common physical features or ethnic backgrounds. Ethnicity is described as having common characteristics such as race, culture, or religion. It is also based on the use of sharing a common …show more content…
Culture competency is important because without it, neither individuals nor organizations would be able to function effectively or meet the needs of their consumers and communities. It can be defined as “a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals and enable that system, agency or those professions to work effectively in cross-cultural situations.” (NCCC, 2014) This week’s readings, discussions, and related materials helped us to gain a better understanding of each term and understand the significance each term has with health disparities. Our assigned reading of The Spirit That Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman was an epitome of how not being culturally competent can lead to racial and ethnic disparities in care. The story of Lia and her family even though it had a …show more content…
Not only do I now understand the importance of knowing how race and ethnicity are used, but I know what they mean and how they can potentially reduce health disparities in society. I was one of those persons who would use the terms interchangeably. I knew that they were not exactly the same, but because they were very similar I never really thought about their differences and how they could have an impact on health disparities. I now understand that race and ethnicity can contribute different information about individuals and their health status. I had previous knowledge of what cultural competence was and how it can create barriers to health care. However, after reading The Spirit That Catches You and You Fall Down I feel I have a better and more visual understanding of how cultural differences can interfere with the quality of care and contribute to racial and ethnic disparities. It was very interesting to read a non-fictional story about how not being culturally competent can have negative effects on the ability of American doctors to provide appropriate healthcare to individuals or groups with different values, beliefs, or
Larsen, P. D., & Hardin, S. R. (2013). Culture and cultural competence. In I. M. Lubkin & P. D. Larsen (Eds.), Chronic Illness Impact and Intervention (8 ed., pp. 343-367). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
As part of my Culture, Health and Illness class, I undertook a critical analysis of the book “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures” by Anne Fadiman. This book was published in 1997, and documents the struggle of a Hmong family from Laos in communicating with and understanding the American health system.
The book I read to examine multicultural issues and cultural biases was The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Faldiman. I found it helpful to use Google maps to get a visual of the location Hmong refugees came from in Laos and mentally trace their journey across the Pacific to settle in Merced, CA. There are two main cultures discussed in this book which includes the subordinate Hmong Lee family and the dominant White American doctors who tried to help Lia with her medical or spirit issues depending on which culture you asked. Faldiman stated in the preface, “I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things but where the edges meet.” This statement would hold so much relevance because Lia’s treatments could have been less stressful if the two cultures reached a point of intersectionality. This is also congruent with what Tatum mentioned in Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria concerning, “Changes in immigration policy in 1965 dramatically increased Asian immigration, significantly altering the demographic makeup of the Asian Pacific American community.” In order to have a full
Cultural competency is a very significant necessity in health care today and the lack of it in leadership and in the health workforce, is quite pressing. The lack of cultural competency can bring about dire consequences such as racial and ethnic disparities in health care. It may not be the sole reason for these disparities, but it certainly places a significant role. A patient and health care provider relationship is very significant and can make or break the quality of care that is given. The lack of cultural competency leads to poor communication which then leads to those of diverse backgrounds to feel either unheard or just plain misunderstood. As an East African
Smedley, B. D. (2012). The Lived Experience of Race and Its Health Consequences. The Science of Research on Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Health, 102(May), 933.
The United States’ population is currently rising exponentially and with growth comes demographic shifts. Some of the demographics shifts include the population growth of Hispanics, increase in senior citizens especially minority elderly, increase in number of residents who do not speak English, increase in foreign-born residents, population trends of people from different sexual orientation, and trends of people with disabilities (Perez & Luquis, 2009). As a public health practitioner, the only way to effectively eliminate health disparities among Americans, one must explore and embrace the demographic shifts of the United States population because differences exist among ethnic groups (Perez, 2009). We must be cognizant of the adverse health conditions for each population and the types of socioeconomic factors that affect them. Culture helps shape an individual’s health related beliefs, values, and behaviors. It is more than ethnicity and race; culture involves economic, political, religious, psychological, and biological aspects (Kleinman & Benson, 2006). All of these conditions take on an emotional tone and moral meaning for participants (Kleinman & Benson, 2006). As a health professional, it is one’s duty to have adequate knowledge and awareness of various cultures to effectively promote health behavior change. Cultural and linguistic competencies through cultural humility are two important aspects of working in the field of public health. Cultural competency is having a sense of understanding and respect for different cultural groups, while linguistic competency is the complete awareness of the language barriers that impact the health of individuals. These concepts are used to then work effectively work with various pop...
Going to a different country or area of the world can open up anybody’s eyes to see that culture makes a huge impact on the understanding and practices of healthcare that seem to be so common to other areas of the world. When a person lives in one country their whole life, that person may not realize how different the life they live is from someone in a foreign country. If a person is going to receive treatment from someone with a different cultural background, they should be expected to get treatment to respects their own culture. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences having such a diverse variety of students has their own cultural competency definition that states “effectively and comfortably communicate across cultures with patients of differing backgrounds, taking into account aspects of trust in order to adopt mutually acceptable objectives and measures”. In the book Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa by Katherine Dettwyler, the issue of culture and healthcare are greatly prevalent. Katherine Dettwyler herself goes to West Africa as an anthropologist and her horizons are broadened when during her research she comes in contact with how much culture has an impact on healthcare and everyday life.
Cultural Competence is important for many reasons. First, it can help develop culturally sensitive practices which can in turn help reduce barriers that affect treatment in health care settings. Second, it can help build understanding, which is critical in competence, in order wards knowing whom the person recognizes as a health care professional and whom they views as traditional healer, can aid the development of trust and improve the individual’s investment and participation in treatment. Third, our population in the United States is not only growing quickly but also changing, cultural competence will allow us as educators and healthcare workers keep up wi...
Wells, M. I. (2000). Beyond cultural competence: A model for individual and institutional cultural development. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 17(4), 189-199.
Jean Giddens (2013) defines culture as “a pattern of shared attitudes, beliefs, self-definitions, norms, roles, and values that can occur among those who speak a particular language, or live in a defined geographical region.” (Giddens, 2013). A person’s culture influences every aspect that person’s life. Beliefs affected by culture include how someone interacts within the family, how to raise children, the types of foods eaten, the style of clothes chosen, which religion is practiced, and the style of communication (including verbal, and body language, slang used etc.) (Giddens, 2013). In addition to these beliefs, health care practices are also affected by culture. The cause
Cultural competence in health care provision refers to the capacity of health care systems to offer good care to patients and accommodate employees, who have diverse beliefs, behaviors, and values to meet their cultural, linguistic, and social needs. It comprises of policies, attitudes, and behaviors that integrate to form a system that can operate efficiently in cross cultural conditions. Healthcare organizations look at cultural competence from two major viewpoints. Firstly, it is a tool to enhance patient care from all backgrounds, social groups, languages, religions, and beliefs. Secondly, it is a tool that strategically attracts potential clients to their organizations and, hence, expands
Cultural competence has a variety of definitions and, in health care, basically refers to the act of developing an awareness of yourself, your existence, your thoughts, and your environment and making sure that those elements do not unjustly affect the clients you serve (Giger, 2013). In this paper, I will share my total score and what I learned about myself after taking the Cultural Diversity Self Assessment (IllinoisCTE, n.d.), discuss two weaknesses or areas with lower scores, and review two strengths with higher scores. I will reflect on my findings and examine the impact that my strengths and weaknesses may have on my nursing care. In addition, I will discuss improving cultural competence and two strategies
Through the selected readings it becomes clear that race is not only a social construct but also a value that changes depending on the region in which one inhabits. Despite the lack of scientific support for race as a biological phenomenon, race still results in misfortune for many minorities. This present throughout everyday life in terms of job opportunities, education, and life experiences.
As a working nurse on an acute behavioral health unit, emergency department, case management, cultural awareness is crucial when treating a diverse population of patients. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (OMH), cultural competence is, “is a set of behaviors, attitudes, and skills that enables nurses to work effectively in cross-cultural situations” (Garcia, 2007, p. 1). It is important for nurses to deliver culturally competent and appropriate care to patients due to the perpetually growing culture of diversity. My workplace is located in Orange, California. Demographically, the city is made up of 47 percent Caucasian, 38 percent Hispanic, 11 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 1 percent Black, and 3 percent other races. I am an American-Filipino, born and raised in California, and identify with the 11 percent Asian/Pacific Islander group. It is necessary that working nurses have cultural awareness and the skills necessary to service patients of any race or ethnicity. We can do this by educating ourselves and being mindful of all different cultures.
We need only tune into our local news channel to see the rapid growth of immigrants arriving in unprecedented numbers. For this reason, in order to reduce disparities in our current health care system, which mainly affects racial and ethnic minorities, it is essential for us to understand our own ethnocentrism, stereotyping tendencies, and prejudices due to our own cultural values and personal experiences. Only then, along with the help of well-organized, effective training, can we begin to level the playing field and lessen the gaps compared to the rest of the United States population, and begin to see positive results.