Ignorance,+or+cultural+misunderstanding?

Aaron Janes n8334358 Tutor: Katie Page



 This image is a political artefact found online depicting two women of tremendously different cultures. One women being a typical modern Australian stereotype, in a bright coloured bikini with big sunglasses carrying a brightly coloured bag wearing “wedges”, a type of shoe. The other women in a dark coloured Burqa, revealing nothing on the women other than her eyes. Both women looking at each other, the women in the bikini stating “Everything covered but her eyes, what a cruel male-dominated culture!” and the other women “Nothing covered but her eyes, what a cruel male-dominated culture!” With Australia becoming one of the most culturally diverse populations in the world, we need to guarantee that our Primary and emergency services are clearly aware of cultural differences and ensure competence in addressing issues arising with sex, death and pain. With these issues being unnoticed or ignored Australia may face a ripple effect of health issues across the nation, from health promotion to cultural awareness within doctor and patient relationships. These issues will ultimately affect Australia’s overall population health status. The world is becoming a multicultural society. Within each city, state and country there are hundreds of classes, races, colours and creeds that live among each other. Australia alone according to Mossman (2011) to date more than twenty percent of the population is foreign born, with more than forty percent being of mixed cultural origins with over 226 languages other than English. With Australia being one of the most multicultural countries in the world it is pertinent that the health industry becomes competent in cross cultural communication and perceptive of Australia’s diverse culture beliefs. Each culture has many varying beliefs and ideals; this may appear confronting and be misunderstood by other cultures. Cultural differences can sometimes lead to misunderstanding in the community or workplace from the simplest of things including language, religion, privacy or even male and female roles (Gold coast city council). These causes of miscommunication are only a few of which communities and individuals face within a society, although are key errors in which the health industry regularly faces. With such a varying display of culture in today’s society it is significantly important to understand differences and what they represent. Cultural issues confronting our primary and emergency services include varying issues arising from sex, pain and death. When approaching issues including sex care delivery, sensitivity towards beliefs and cultural virtues health professional need to understand their boundaries. Within the Muslim culture Women cannot reveal their ‘awra’ which according to Private parts of women’s covering themselves (2011) includes parts of their body other than face, hands and feet from men other than their husbands, this becomes problematic when delivering sex care such as papsmears or even general checkups. Male Doctors and paramedics face issues when treating Muslim women, Muslim culture prohibits Females from attending or being treated by a male practitioner or paramedic (Rubym 2010). With an attempt to overcome this cultural barrier female doctors or paramedics can be arranged for treatment, although in an emergency it is suggested in the Quran that in circumstances of ill health and a female doctor cannot be utilised a male doctor can be seen (Hmohdkhan youtube video 2009). Although if a male health professional is treating a Muslim women and the injury is within the awra discretion should be considered as it is requested that only the injured site be revealed. Other cultural issues presented with grief, pain and death management are most confronting in aboriginality. According to McGrath, P., Fox-Young, S., Phillips, E. (2008) aboriginal grief experience vary from western culture including emotional pain to grief and traditional ways of dealing with death; when viewing the body large numbers of family members gather together sharing the grief by crying and whaling and ceremonial singing. This is confronting too many health professionals untrained to understand diverse cultural customs, and many primary health services don’t accommodate to these rituals. Hospitals don’t allow these ceremonies within hospital, and it is hard to remove the body after it is deceased from the hospital. Aboriginals in this circumstances do not get to say goodbye to their love ones in a way that is cultural satisfying for them. Within hospitals there is maintained a sense of racism, prejudice and discrimination in general health care nursing (Good 2001). This causes a confronting problem in all aspects of health care delivery with belief by clients that the health care is prejudice and bias with a lack of trust, affecting both clinicians professionally and the community health. With patients fearing that their cultural needs will be neglected, they avert utilizing healthcare services. Although the information that is presenting reflects negatively on Australia’s cultural awareness, Australia is ‘clued in’ with primary and emergency services to cultural sex, death and pain. With areas that clearly need improvement, overall it is clear though that Australia has developed a society in which is welcoming and aware to cultural differences. According to the former president of Portugal and the United Nations high representative for the alliance of civilisations Doctor Jorge Sampaio (Crisp 2011) “I think that Multiculturalism in Australia is a successful story”. Dr Sampaio expresses that to eliminate the negative perception on Australia’s multiculturalism “We need both to deal with the roots of problems and eradicate the main causes and to deconstruct myths, stereotypes and prejudices that shape negative perceptions. This can be accomplished by investing more within the education system, media literacy and youth programs. According to Dr Sampaio (Crisp 2011) “It seems to me that the key of success of multiculturalism in Australia is due to a right balance between equal cultural circumstances and equal opportunities.” This creates a positive effect on the health care system with an attempt to limit racism and prejudice toward cultural patients providing “equal opportunities”. Given international cultural diversity goals to improve this can only be met through culturally sensitive administration, policies and procedures, training and professional development, workplace standards, and the ability to employ the consumer’s voices in all these domains (Chenowethm et al., 2006, pp. 34-40). One Australian attempt to accommodate these techniques is through the Cultural competency in health: A guide for policy, partnerships and participation (2005). This government program draws together evidence on programs for increasing cultural competence and research on influences and determinants of healthy living and environments, within culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Without initiative programs similar to this the populations cultural societies may face issues in Australia’s health care system preventing correct treatment or the cultural population avoiding attending health professionals. With twenty percent of Australia’s population being foreign born this may have a large effect on Australia’s overall population health status. 21st century delivery of healthcare is not only to members of one culture; with multiculturalism being a worldwide phenomenon healthcare professionals need to consider learning and implementing other cultural needs and requirements to the practise. Social aspects driving this issue include areas such as different cultures being hesitant to even attend health care providers due to concerns with facing racism, prejudice, discrimination and misunderstanding and consideration for cultural beliefs. Social determinants also include language barriers, patient compliancy with recommended treatment, and understanding of issue including preventions, aetiology and treatment of problem. Cultural and social Groups that are most affected by these issues are freshly immigrated Muslim Communities, along with Rural and remote indigenous communities. With freshly immigrated Muslim populations lacking language skills and Australian culture, health care is complicated and confronting particularly in regards to Muslim beliefs versus the Australian health care system. The indigenous population don’t believe that Australia can meet their needs in the health care system due to such a dearth of information on the indigenous culture to consider (Good, S 2001). Due to this belief many of the population will not attend health services, and many that do don’t understand the advice or treatment given leaving it pointless. Cultural awareness needs to be understood and issues rectified to reduce the cultural communities ill health. This communities ill health can affect not only the health status of the cultural population but spread to the Australian population causing a widespread health related issues, this will equally effect the overall populations health status. Public health experts should focus on health professional education on cultural awareness, and interventions to accommodate specific areas in which cultural barriers are faced including Muslim Women and male doctors, improving Indigenous and health professional communication to ensure treatment is understood. These are only a limited amount of issues that should be covered to ensure that the health system remains ‘clued in’ and improves cultural awareness in our primary and emergency health services. (Leininger, 1985, 1991a, 1991b) theory involves an idea in which transcultural nurses and leaders using and perfecting varieties of qualitative research methods that have evolved in the last four decades. These methods help nurses to value, expand and using at least 25 different methods to enter another’s world and gain an in-depth knowledge of peoples care and wellness or illness(Leininger, 1985, 1991a, 1991b). This theory states that with the modern technology and evolving understanding of cross-cultural communication healthcare workers have the opportunity to enter another’s world and understand the cultural differences and reasoning behind beliefs and how to care for these patients without arising any issues. According to Leininger (1985, 1991a, 1991b) theory with the use of the cultural care theory, 185 culturally-based dominant care constructs have been discovered among the cultures studies, creating a wealth of culturally-based care and health knowledge available to nurses. With nurses having the opportunity to access to this wealth of knowledge, nurses should be required to learn and understand at least the major cultural issues presented in delivering health care in Australia. This would limit the social and cultural issues described and alternatively give health care services the ability to competently understand cultural differences.
 * Artefact Explanation **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Public health issue **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Literature review **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Social and Cultural analysis **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I believe that the artefact chosen demonstrates that Australia is becoming one of the most multicultural countries in the world. In saying this, the artefact clearly shows the difference between two distinct cultures in the Australian community, the Australian and Muslim races. These different cultural beliefs are demonstrated in the general appearance of the two females in the picture. The Australian female is in common beach attire exposing most of the body only hidden by a bikini and sunglasses, this is normal for the Australian culture and a common practise is attending a beach or pool in this attire. To contrasting belief the Muslim lady is wearing a burqa, for Muslim woman this is the attire they wear outside of their house. The belief is that a woman’s ‘awra’, being any part of the body other than face, hands and feet are private and should only been seen by their husbands. These practices although completely different both cultures believe they are perfectly normal and although they are in each own culture, living together these practices commonly get miss interpreted and are miss understood. This is demonstrated in the quotation by the characters, that it is a male dominated culture and the females don’t have an option. This indicates that we need to learn, appreciate and respect all cultures so there are no misunderstandings. Applying this to our health services will improve multicultural health and reduce racism and prejudice creating a successful cultural competence in the health service. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">From the research gathered I have learnt that Australia is competent at addressing multicultural issues, although some areas need to be addressed for example in the indigenous community and misunderstanding of diagnosis and treatment. I have also learnt that each culture although different incorporates certain beliefs that aren’t ‘wrong’ or ‘stupid’ rather in their culture are normal, and although they differentiate insignificantly or extremely they exist for similar reasons. From this I can confidently say this will change the approach I will take to future cultural patients, and be more considerate to their varying beliefs and ideals.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Artefact analysis and personal refection **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Mossman, G. (2011) Australia’s culture. Retrieved from: [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Cross-cultural communication: working for our future, today. (2007). //Gold coast city council.// Retreived from: []
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">References **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Private parts of women’s covering themselves. (2011). Hidaya Research Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Rubym. 2010 RE: are married Muslim women allowed to see male doctors to be examined [online forum comment]. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Hmohdkhan. ( <span class="watch-video-date" style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Jul 15, 2009 <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Hmohdkhan- Is it forbidden (HARAM) for a female to go to male gynecologist in Islam? Dr Zakir Naik [video file]. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">McGrath, P., Fox-Young, S., Phillips, E. (2008). Insight on aboriginal grief practices from the Northern Territory, Australia. //Australian journal of primary health//, 14(3), 48-57. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Good, S. (2001). Transcultural nursing: can we meet the challenge of caring for the Australian indigenous person? //Journal of transcultural nursing//, 12:94. DOI 10.1177/104365960101200202

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Crisp, D. (Oct 2011). Multiculturalism in Australia. Paper presented by Deakin University Strategic Research Centres. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Chenowethm, L., Jeon, Y.H., Goff, M., Burke, C. (2006). Cultural competency and nursing care: an Australian perspective. International nursing review 53, 34-40. Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Cultural competency in health: A guide for policy, partnerships and participation. (2005). //National health and medical research council//. Australian government.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Theorist: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Leininger, M. (1997). Transcultural Nursing Research to Transform Nursing Education and Practice: 40 Years. //Journal of nursing scholarship//, 29(4), 341-347. Retrieved from: []