Week 7 - Culture and Healthcare

Flashcards of key vocabulary terms related to culture, cultural humility, and healthcare.

Culture

A set of learned beliefs, attitudes, values, rules, norms, behaviors, and practices common to a group that may share religion, ethnicity, gender, education, sexual orientation, upbringing, or other experiences.

Iceberg Model of Culture

A model that shows some aspects of culture (e.g., language, clothing, food) are visible, while many (e.g., beliefs, values, assumptions) lie beneath the surface and are not immediately visible.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency to view one’s own culture as “normal” and superior, judging other cultures based on the values and norms of one’s own.

Cultural Safety

An outcome where individuals feel safe and respected in healthcare settings.

Cultural Humility

A process involving lifelong self-reflection, acknowledging power imbalances, and institutional accountability.

8 Key Principles of Culturally Safe Engagement with Indigenous Patients

Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, Responsibility, Reflection, Relationality, Reconciliation, Recognition

3 Tenets of Cultural Humility

Lifelong learning and self-reflection, Mitigating power imbalances, Institutional accountability

Individualist Cultures

Value autonomy and individual decision-making.

Collectivist Cultures

Prioritize group harmony, family involvement, and community decision-making.

High Context Cultures

Rely on subtle, indirect communication.

Low Context Cultures

Value clear, direct verbal communication.

Monochronic Cultures

Value punctuality and doing one task at a time.

Polychronic Cultures

Prioritize relationships and multitasking, viewing time more flexibly.

Implicit Bias

Involves unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect understanding, actions, and decisions, often without the person being aware.

Intersectionality

A framework for understanding how multiple social identities (e.g., race, gender, class) intersect and contribute to unique experiences of oppression and privilege.

Microaggression

A subtle or unintentional comment or action that expresses prejudice toward a marginalized group.

Cultural Informant

Someone knowledgeable about a particular culture; in healthcare, the patient is the best one about their own beliefs and values.

Cultural Awareness

Recognizing the existence of cultural differences

Cultural Sensitivity

Acknowledging and respecting cultural differences without judgment

Cultural Competence

Striving to understand and adapt to cultural differences in healthcare delivery, though not completely achievable.

Power Imbalance in Healthcare

The unequal relationship between healthcare providers and patients, often influenced by the provider's position, authority, and the patient’s social or cultural status.

Institutional Accountability in Cultural Humility

Organizations and systems taking responsibility for creating and maintaining environments that support cultural humility, addressing systemic biases, providing cultural training, and ensuring equitable access to healthcare for all patients.