Unit 8 Cultural Diversity

8:1 Culture, Ethnicity,

and Race
 Health care workers work with and provide
care to many different people
 Respect the individuality of each person
 Be aware of factors that cause each
person to be unique
 Major influence is cultural/ethnic heritage

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 Culture
 Values, beliefs, attitudes, language,
symbols, rituals, behaviors, and customs
unique to a particular group of people
 Passed from one generation to next
 Often defined set of rules
 Foundation of behavior, but variances

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 Culture
(continued)
 Culture is learned
 Culture is shared
 Social in nature
 Dynamic and constantly changing

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 Ethnicity
 Classification of people based on national
origin and/or culture
 Share common heritage, national origin,
social customs, language, and beliefs
 Influenced, but may not follow all beliefs
 Common ethnic groups
 Subgroups within larger ethnic groups

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 Race
 Based on physical or biological factors
– Color of skin, hair, and eyes
– Facial features
– Blood types
– Bone structure
– Race cuts across multiple ethnic/cultural
groups

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 Cultural Diversity
 Differences among people resulting from
cultural, ethnic, and racial factors
 These differences influence a
person’s behavior
 Differences exist within
ethnic/cultural groups
 United States called a “melting pot,” or is it
more accurately a “salad bowl”?
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 Acculturation
 Process of learning the beliefs and
behaviors of a dominant culture and
assuming some of the characteristics
– Every individual has unique blend of
characteristics
– Need to develop sensitivity to differences

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 8:2 Bias, Prejudice, and
Stereotyping
 Bias: preference that inhibits
impartial judgment
 Prejudice: strong feelings or beliefs about
a person or subject; pre-judging others
without reviewing facts or information;
often based on fear
 Stereotyping: making the assumption that
everyone in a group is the same
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 Bias, Prejudice, and
Stereotyping (continued)
 Creates barriers to effective relationships
 Health care workers must be aware and
avoid these feelings and assumptions
 Ways to avoid bias, prejudice,
and stereotyping

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 8:3 Understanding
Cultural Diversity
 Cultural and ethnic beliefs will
affect behavior
 Health care workers must be aware of
these beliefs to provide holistic care
 See Table 8-1 in text
 Language

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 Understanding Cultural
Diversity (continued)
 Personal space and touch
 Eye contact
 Gestures
 Health care beliefs
 Spirituality and religion
(See Table 8-2 in text)

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 Family Organization
 Nuclear
 Extended
 Patriarchal versus matriarchal
 Recognition and acceptance of
family organization is essential for
health care providers
 Talk with patient and ask questions to
determine family organization preferences
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 Respect Cultural Diversity
 Regard each individual as unique
 Everyone adopts beliefs and forms a
pattern of behavior based on culture,
ethnicity, race, life experiences, spirituality,
and religion
 Inherent, but may alter with experiences
 Health care workers must be aware and
respect differences
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