CHAPTER 3 CULTURE AND HEALTH Robyn Williams | Janie Dade Smith | Regan Jane Sharp A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. (MARCUS GARVEY) Copyright @ 2016. Elsevier. All rights reserved. Imagine the perfect world where our children play in the sunshine with their multi- cultural friends, where everyone is treated equally, where we all understand and respect each other for our strengths and our differences. To live in such a peaceful multicultural society it is important to understand why we 'think what we think' and why different cultural groups 'think what they think. This understanding is particu- larly important for health professionals who will all at various times work in cross- cultural contexts. Working as a 'culturally safe' practitioner is just as important as being a 'clinically safe' practitioner. A crucial part of being culturally safe is being able to define our own culture, to know how our own cultural identity influences and shapes our work practice and being able to negotiate shared meaning and relation- ships of trust with all people receiving our care. Dade-Smith, J. (2016). Australia's rural, remote and indigenous health - ebook. Elsevier. Created from latrobe on 2022-08-07 01:34:34.
AUSTRALIA'S RURAL, REMOTE AND INDIGENOUS HEALTH 46 Reproduced with permission from: iStockphoto/Christopher Futcher. Learning about our own cultural identity, particularly for those from the domi- nant or largest cultural group, is an interesting process that can be confronting and extremely challenging. This is because we commonly think that our way of doing or seeing things is the most obvious and logical way. This chapter aims to challenge those beliefs so that you, as a health professional, can provide the most appropriate services to all who make up our very culturally diverse population. This chapter also examines the issue of culture from international, national and rural perspectives. It explores how to turn one's gaze from 'the other' and how to look at one's self, that is, what goes into making up our professional and personal identity and how this impacts on work practice. It then explores in detail three key concepts, racism, social justice and cultural safety, and applies these principles through the use of a case study. Copyright @ 2016. Elsevier. All rights reserved. WHAT IS CULTURE? Culture describes the particular way of life of a group of people, as they are living today. It is like a group's own particular pattern or template for living. It includes what they think - their beliefs, values and philosophies; what they say - their stories, myths, languages, symbols and traditions; what they do - their lifestyles, customs and behav- iours; what they believe - their ambitions, traditions and expectations; and what they make - their buildings, technology and food. Culture is learned. It evolves, adapts and is passed down from generation to gen- eration. It is based on shared perceptions about the cultural group's beliefs, values, Dade-Smith, J. (2016). Australia's rural, remote and indigenous health - ebook.