For this assignment, I will assess an adult from a different culture than that of my own. I will utilize the Giger and Davidhizar’s transcultural assessment tool to perform my assessment. After assessing this adult, I will summarize my findings. Along with summarizing, I will provide three professional references, as well as a conclusion. Description of the Person and Cultural Heritage Jeremy Packer is a 31 year old man who has a Jewish cultural background. He was born in the United States. Jeremy is a single young man, who works as a nursing assistant. He works full time, as well as attending school to become a Registered Nurse. Present U.S. Census Data Related to the History of the Person’s Ethnic Group in the United States Within the United States, Jewish Americans account for about 3% of the population (Newman Giger, 2013). There four main religious groups in the Jewish sector. Those include: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist. The Orthodox Jew is strict and based on more tradition, the Conservative Jew maintains a less strict practice, the Reform Jew practices a more liberal religion, and the Reconstructionist Jew have both traditional beliefs, as well as evolving into a more contemporary beliefs. Jews have described themselves as a “people”, based on their shared religion (Ostrer & Skorecki, 2012). Assessment of Communication Factors Jeremy’s primary language is English. He knows very little Hebrew language, what he does know is tied into religious practices. He speaks with a strong and clear voice. He is very forthcoming with information, therefore I do not see Jeremy as a quiet individual. He does not use nonverbal communication skills, nor does he touch others during conversation.... ... middle of paper ... ...I normally would not. Studies have shown that Jews are highly intelligent in regards to verbal intelligence when compared to non-Jews (Newman Giger, 2013). He was very in tune and passionate about religion and politics. I believe a lot of people are prejudiced and have stereotypes of others than from their own culture. Over the past 60 years, a majority of ethnic and national stereotypes have changed (Madon et al., 2014). While it is important when caring for our patients that we are aware of their cultural background, I believe it is even more important to treat each patient the same, regardless of race, religion, or sex. Our top priority should be of what is in the best interest for the patient. In order to achieve the best results possible, we do need to include in our nursing interventions their beliefs or values so they will adhere to the plan of care.
I chose to write about Jewish-Americans after my mother, who was raised Christian, chose to identify herself as Jewish. In my reading I examined Jewish culture and how it is in American society. I looked at how Jewish-American culture has become a prominent component of American society. I looked at the historical forces that have shaped Jewish-American experience in the United States. I looked at demographics of where most Jewish-Americans live. I examined how Jewish-Americans have contributed to our culturally pluralistic society in the United States.
In such a multicultural world, being knowledgeable and understanding of not only your cultural background, but that of others is essential. Building my awareness on cultures different from my own, and how it shapes an individual’s identity, will foster my personal and professional development. Subsequently, I conducted a cultural interview with an individual whose cultural background differed from my own. Several similarities and differences between our cultures were apparent in the interview, specifically in the areas of race, ethnicity, language, values, and worldview.
Hasidic Judaism is a branch of Orthodox Judaism established in Eastern Europe during the 1800’s that put spirituality and a connection with God through mysticism at the forefront of its beliefs. In order to understand Hasidic Judaism, one must understand that Judaism is not only a religion; it is also a philosophy and a way of life for the Jewish people. One of the oldest monotheistic religions, Judaism has evolved over the years since the time of the founding fathers. Like any culture or religion, however, Jews have never been without conflict or disagreement amongst its people. Schisms amongst Jews over long periods of time have led to a branching out of sects and Jewish institutions. What led to the separation of denominations within was a fundamental disagreement on the interpretation and implementation of Halakah (Jewish religious law). Before the 18th century there was little differentiation between sects of Judaism; Jewry was based on Talmudic and Halakhic study and knowledge. Constructed as an overly legalistic religion before the 18th century, the Hasidic movement popularized by Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer sought to spread Judaism through the common man’s love of and devotion to God.
U.S. Census Bureau, (2010). Cumulative Estimates of the Components of Resident Population Change by Race and Hispanic Origin for the United States. Retrieved from http://www.prb.org/Publications/PopulationBulletins/2010/latinosupdate1.aspx
Schaefer, Richard, T. Racial and Ethnic Groups. 12th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.
Hastings, C. (2002). So, how do you become culturally competent? Family Therapy Magazine, 1(2), 18-24.
The referred population includes about 50 subgroups with reference to origins, diversity in culture, ethnicity, religious traditions, English proficiency, and geographical and immigration history
The term culture is defined as “the thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups” (Potter & Perry, 2013). With the increase of culturally diverse populations in the United States, it is important for nurses to practice cultural competence. Cultural competence is the ability to acquire specific behaviors, skills, attitudes, and policies in a system that permits “effective work in a cross-cultural setting” (OMH, 2013). Being culturally competent is essential because nurses who acknowledges and respects a patient’s health beliefs and practices are more likely to have positive health outcomes (OMH, 2012). Every culture has certain views and attitudes concerning health. The Jewish (also referred to as Jews), in particular, have intriguing health practices and beliefs that health care providers need to be aware of.
Remember, self-reflection is vital to becoming a culturally-competent counselor. The counselor should consistently re-examine their worldview and personal beliefs about diverse individuals and other cultures. The idea is for the counselor to explore their own prejudices, emotions, and preconceived notions of those that differ from themselves. Remaining curious and willing to learn about culturally distinct groups is a practical way of working effectively with varied clients in counseling and understanding what barriers and prejudices are typical in their
Schaefer, R. (Ed.). (2012). Racial and ethnic groups. (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education
John, W. Berry, Ype H. Poortinga, Marshall, H. Segall, Pierre R. Dasen (2002). Cross- Cultural Psychology: Research and applications (2nd ed.) United States of America, New York.
Experiencing a society of multi-cultures is beneficial through a variety of concepts to epitomize each individual identity. A person may vary in the degree to which he or she identifies with, morals, or...
US Bureau of the Census; ?Estimates of the population of state by age, sex, race & Hispanic origin: 1990 to 1999;? published 12/29/99
Culture, where and how a person is raised, affects a person no matter how much they dislike the way they are being taught the ways of life. However, moving to different places as a child and coun...
Researching and developing awareness of different cultures beliefs, values, and practice can help aid with providing cultural competent care. As a healthcare professional, this is an essential competent for caring for patient of different ethnicity group. “Organizations and individuals who understand their clients’ cultural values, beliefs, and practices are in a better position to be co-participants with their clients in providing culturally acceptable care” (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008, p. 2). During the beginning of this course, I had taken a cultural competency quiz regarding my responses to the patient cultural values and belief practices. I will later discuss how my results from the cultural competency quiz changed