Cultural Differences In Health And Social Care

Given that diversity thrives, the project of understanding each other is both terrifying and important. It is a journey never finished, because the process and the end points change constantly. We live in a world that feeds from communication. We can’t get from point A to point B without communicating but when cultural differences come into play it can be a bit difficult. I will be discussing three theories that I relate to everyday at work and at home. Understanding culture, communicating and cultural variation, the function of language and using language to share information and lastly why we listen and being empathetic listeners is important. Culture is a learned system of a way of thinking and behavior that belong to and symbolizes a group of people; it is the combination of their shared beliefs, values and practice. Just as we
Delivering quality healthcare to culturally diverse population is an increasing challenge in healthcare. Barbara Schouten of Cultural Differences in Medical Communication: A Review of the Literature states that “Culture and ethnicity have often been cited as barriers in establishing an effective and satisfying doctor-patient relationship.” In the healthcare setting where I work, we encounter many different languages, beliefs and cultures that have different worldviews that can lead to confusion, misinterpretation and misunderstanding but we have to find ways to be able to give our patients vital information regarding their health that way they are able to make decisions regarding their health. Effective communication with patients is vital to the safety and quality of care. Barriers to this communication include differences in language and culture. Language plays an important role in