Human Diversity Study Guide

Human diversity

Differences inherent among people

Culture

Behaviors, norms, and values are developed that are suited to a specific environment and over time take on the strength of tradition

Cultural competency

Possessing a set of attitudes behaviors, and policies that come together in a system, or among individuals, to enable effective interactions in a cross-cultural framework

Why is human diversity more important today than it has been in the past?

globalization

With an influx of differing cultures, a need exists to understand human diversity and

to develop strategies to negotiate and mediate conflict caused by cultural differences.

What is the term that describes possessing a set of attitudes, behaviors, and policies that enable effective interactions in a cross-cultural framework?

cultural competency

What are some of the human diversity characteristics

cultures, globalization, multiculturalization

Age

period of life, usually expressed in years

Ethnicity

Ethnic affiliation or classification

race

describes a group of genetically related people sharing certain physical characteristics

gender

biologic or chromosomal sexual identity—male or female

sexual orientation

•Natural preference in sexual partners

gender identity

the inner sense of maleness or femaleness

mental/physical ability

•Capacity to perform cognitive and psychomotor tasks

religion

particular system of faith and worship

Which generation is the most significant subset of the population in the U.S?

Millennials 1981-1999

What laws have been passed to eliminate discrimination based upon age in

employment?

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

Ethnocentrism

•Tendency toward viewing the norms and values of the individual’s own culture as absolute and using them as the standard against which all other cultures are measured

Racism

•Belief in racial superiority, leading to discrimination and prejudice toward races considered inferior

Assimilation

•The process by which persons of diverse culture, over time, give up their original cultural language and identify with, and try to merge into, another culture (usually the mainstream)

•Diminishes the accomplishments, contributions, and values of one culture in favor of those of the mainstream

Biculturalism

•The ability of individuals to be able to competently negotiate two or more cultures, the mainstream culture and the individual’s own culture

•People of different ethnicities may have different core values, although people who reside in the United States also generally prescribe to the core values of the mainstream, this tendency means that most US residents are bicultural

What happens when ethnocentrism and racism are allowed to exist within a socie

discrimination, prejudice and oppression are evident and expressed.

What laws have been passed to lessen the impact of discrimination based on ethnicity and race?

Civil rights act of 1964

What is a “Glass ceiling”?

upper limit to professional advancement

What laws have been passed to eliminate gender discrimination in the workplace?

civil rights act of 1964, equal pay act of 1963, lilly ledbetter fair pay act of 2009

Heterosexuality

being attracted to people of the opposite gender

Homosexuality

being attracted to people of the same gender

Bisexuality

being attracted to people of both gender

Homophobia

irrational fear of homosexuals

Cisgender

identifying with the gender assigned at birth

Transgender

identify with gender different from the one assigned at birth

Transgender Female

male at birth but identifies as female

Transgender male

female at birth but identifies as male

Gender Expression

external appearance of one’s gender identity

Dead Name

name transperson was given at birth but no longer goes by

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires what?

institutions to make reasonable accommodations for disabled individuals

Autonomy

•Provides respect for the right of persons with a disability to have self-directed actions and behaviors and requires that the individual be the ultimate consideration and the center of all decisions that affect him or her

Dignity

•Provides mechanisms that recognize and support the inestimable value of, because of his or her inherent self worth, every individual, regardless of ability

Equality

•Relates to fair and equal treatment of everyone, regardless of perceived differences, including disability

Solidarity

•Requires society to support and maintain the freedoms of individuals with application of the appropriate social mechanisms

What are the elements of cultural competency?

1.Valuing diversity

2.Possessing the capacity for cultural self-assessment

3.Having a consciousness of the dynamics of cross-cultural interaction

4.Institutionalizing cultural knowledge

5.Developing adaptations of service delivery that reflect an understanding of a multicultural environment

What are the empathetic practices that help foster cultural insight and produce improved outcomes?

1.Making quick powerful connections with the patient

2.Gathering culturally relevant information

3.Working with patients to form strategies that meet their individual needs, the needs of the provider, and the needs of the medical facility or practice

Describe the six areas of human diversity that healthcare providers need to understand to provide high-quality and effective care

1.Communication

2.Space

3.Time

4.Environmental control

5.Biologic variations

6. Social organizations