2. It is the mark of the cultured man that he
is aware of the fact that equality is an
ethical and not a biological principle”
--------Ashley Montagu
3. What is culture to you?
Do you think about it?
Do others think about it?
“The nature of human nature is a
culturally constructed entity,
invisible to us, because we are
immersed in it.” ---Unknown
4. Culture by Definition
• Learned, shared experiences that provide
the individual and the group with effective
mechanisms for interacting with others
and the environment
• Examples?
– Values
– Attitudes
– Morals
– Customs
– Traditions
– Language
– Food
– Religion
– Socioeconomic status
– Sexual orientation
5. Let’s Look at Culture Terms
• Belief
– something held to be true or actual
• Values
– regarded as desirable, worthy, right,
ideal
• Morals
– conduct or character from the point of
view of right and wrong
6. Where Do Our Beliefs Come From?
Communities
Economics
History
Politics
Religion
Friends
Mass Media
Families
Cultural
Beliefs
9. Race
• One of the major subdivisions of man
• Regarded as having a common origin
and exhibiting a relatively constant
set of physical traits
• Is not the same as culture, historical
experience, or privilege
• Race can shape culture
• Great variation within and between
races
10. Ethnicity
“An ethnic group is a human
population whose members identify
with each other, usually on the basis
of a presumed common genealogy or
ancestry. Ethnic groups are also
usually united by common cultural,
behavioural, linguistic, or religious
practices. In this sense, an ethnic
group is also a cultural community”
----Wikipedia, November 27,
2006
11. • Myths
– unfounded or poorly founded beliefs
that are given uncritical acceptance by
members of a group
• Stereotypes
– mental pictures based on myths that
lead people to associate a characteristic
with particular groups of people
12.
13. • Generalization
– to apply a concept broadly; avoids
details and specifics
• Are generalizations always negative?
• Are they all accurate?
• Xenophobia
– unreasonable fear or hatred of those
different from ourselves
16. The Role of the OTA--Ethics
• OT Code of Ethics
– We are responsible for providing
services without regard to race, creed,
national origin, sex, age, handicap,
disease entity, social status, or religious
affiliation.
17. How Does Culture Affect our
Clients?
• Self esteem/self-worth
• Access to medical care, job choices,
leisure and activity resources
• Rights and opportunities/privileges
• Interactions with others
• Resources
• Health
• Discrimination
• Personal view of potential
18. The Role of the OTA
• Be self aware
• Look beyond knowledge base
• Collaborate with goal setting
• Individualize treatment
• Base assessments on the patient’s
culture, not yours
• Provide access to all services
• Improve equity, fairness, and
appropriateness of treatment
19. • Listen to client’s view of life
• Understand the social restraints
• Understand politics of healthcare
• Understand the reimbursement
system
• Expose yourself to different cultures
Hinweis der Redaktion
Culture is invisible—taken for granted by those participating in it
To belong to a culture is to become socialized
Not the same thing as race or ethnicity
Our cultural attitudes/behaviors/actions are shared socially—shared understanding of what certain things mean.
Can shape culture because privilege and/or oppression based on this
Can shape culture—not the same as race
Read “Night”
Once we hear something, we internalize it
We more easily incorporate that information every time we hear a similar comment
We inadvertently filter this information the same way every time
