Question

How might your cultural background influence the services you provide, as well as your interactions with clients/participants? What are some cultural biases you have needed to be aware of while creating your program proposal?

Answer 1

Knowing other cultures helps in dealing with clients in a much better way. The culture is the outlook, behavior, belief, language, morals goals and customs followed by the society.

It is better in the case of the health provider to know the cultural background of the client/participants because there are certain rules that are followed by one culture but they are not followed by other cultures.

Communication is very important to understand while dealing with clients. There is always a problem if the clinician is not aware of the patient's culture, suppose I have to treat an Asian American, and I am not aware of their cultural values it would become difficult for me to understand what the clients want to say. Suppose I am aware of their norms and values with respect to food habits and other issues it would be easier for me to understand and treat the client, otherwise, the option for me is to make the client clarify in details about the eating habits, and food restriction and other norms that they follow. There are certain people, who are vegetarians, or they do not eat garlic and onion in this type of case if I do not take these details my treatment would not be effective or the client may not like it.

Knowing the exact nature of the client's background and cultural values would help in treating in a much better way. It would help me to draft the food chart keeping into consideration the dietary restrictions. There are various issues like in certain cultures the health decisions are taken by the elders. Eye contact or physical touch is taken as taboo or restricted so I have to be careful while dealing with the clients.

The difference in the cultural values of the clients has to be completely understood and taken into consideration before starting a consultation and treatment because it will be easier for both of us.

If the client is of the same cultural background then it is easier for me to treat the patient. While in case of the patient who belongs to other cultural backgrounds as a clinician I have to win the confidence of the patient, by understanding his cultural values, dietary restrictions and if he can converse in English it is good otherwise I would try to use an interpreter, to understand the clients point of view before creating a program proposal with respect to Health beliefs, Health customs, Ethnic customs, Dietary customs, Religious beliefs, and interpersonal customs.