Six Cultural Phenomena in Transcultural Care

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Transcultural Care: Six Cultural Phenomena for Culturally Appropriate Care

Giger and Davidhizar propose six cultural phenomena evident in all cultural groups: communication, time, space, social organization, environmental control, and biological variations. These phenomena help healthcare professionals understand the diverse needs of patients from different cultural backgrounds and provide culturally appropriate care (Kardashev, 2020). Healthcare practitioners require cultural competence skills to ensure efficient healthcare service delivery.

Communication focuses on how individuals from different cultures express themselves verbally and non-verbally. It includes language barriers, communication styles, use of body language, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact. For example, in some Asian cultures like Japan, maintaining direct eye contact during a conversation may be seen as disrespectful or confrontational (Kardashev, 2020). Also, in certain Middle Eastern cultures like Saudi Arabia, it is common for males and females to have separate spaces for communication.

Time phenomenon relates to how various cultures perceive time management and its significance in daily life activities or healthcare settings. It encompasses attitudes towards punctuality or tardiness for appointments or engagements. For example, while Western societies emphasize being on time for meetings or appointments promptly (monochronic culture), polychronic culture cultures like Latin American or African tend to have a more relaxed attitude towards time (Schuster-Wallace et al., 2022). Furthermore, some Indigenous communities may have a different concept of time, focusing more on the present moment and valuing flexibility in scheduling (Manrai et al., 2019). Time is a critical factor in patient care, and punctuality is a desired aspect of healthcare service providers.

Space refers to how individuals from different cultures perceive and use personal space and physical surroundings. It includes personal boundaries, privacy, and spatial arrangements in healthcare settings. For example, in some Arab and Latino cultures, people may have closer proximity when interacting with others compared to Western cultures, where personal space is valued (Kardashev, 2020). Similarly, some Indigenous communities may have specific cultural practices related to the use of space during healing rituals or ceremonies. Healthcare practices require reasonable space.

Social Organization pertains to how societies are structured and organized based on family dynamics, social hierarchies, gender roles, and norms of behavior. In most societies, the father figure carries the burden of provision, while in other cultures, they share financial responsibilities, including healthcare expenses.

Environmental control focuses on how individuals perceive and interact with their environment, including the natural and built surroundings. It includes beliefs about the impact of environmental factors on health and well-being and cultural practices related to environmental control. For example, some cultures may believe in the healing properties of specific natural environments or elements like hot springs or herbal remedies. There is a high inclination to traditional herbal medicine in most developing and third-world economies (Gemmati et al., 2019). Moreover, certain religious or spiritual practices may involve creating a specific environment for healing rituals, like lighting candles or burning incense.

Biological variations recognize biological diversity among individuals from different cultural backgrounds that can influence healthcare outcomes. The variations include genetic predispositions to certain diseases, physiological responses to medications, and anatomical differences (Gemmati et al., 2019). For example, some ethnic groups may have a higher prevalence of certain genetic conditions, like sickle cell anemia in African Americans. Different cultural practices may affect the metabolism and response to medications. For example, some Asian populations metabolize drugs differently than other ethnicities. Such biological diversity determines how healthcare practitioners approach different cultures. Cultural competence is instrumental when handling diverse cultures in healthcare.

References

Gemmati, D., Varani, K., Bramanti, B., Piva, R., Bonaccorsi, G., Trentini, A., ... & Bellini, T. (2019). “Bridging the gap” everything that could have been avoided if we had applied gender medicine, pharmacogenetics and personalized medicine in the gender-omics and sex-omics era. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(1), 296.

Karandashev, V. (2020). Cultural models of emotions. Springer Nature.

Manrai, L. A., Manrai, A. K., Lascu, D., & Friedeborn, S. (2019). Determinants and effects of cultural context: A review, conceptual model, and propositions. Journal of Global Marketing, 32(2), 67-82.

Schuster-Wallace, C. J., Nouvet, E., Rigby, I., Krishnaraj, G., de Laat, S., Schwartz, L., & Hunt, M. (2022). Culturally sensitive palliative care in humanitarian action: Lessons from a critical interpretive synthesis of culture in palliative care literature. Palliative & Supportive Care, 20(4), 582-592.