Journal of cultural diversity最新文献

Three years ago the elementary education department at Clemson University recognized the need for curricular change in the way we prepare teachers. The current program was not reflective of the changing demographics of multilingual and multicultural students in the public/ private school population. The challenge from the university provost was to create an enhanced elementary curriculum that would be unique in training students to meet these new demands. The purpose of this article is to share the revisioning process that led to redesigning the teacher preparation program. Promoting positive conversations about the richness of viewing diversity through a new lens will provide deeper insights into these issues.

Culture and cultural care have become important concepts in nursing education. However, little is known about what nursing students learn about these complex concepts. The purpose of this study was to explore and critique what nursing students learn about culture and cultural care. First and fourth year students were invited to participate in a focused ethnography to explore how nursing education might shape student knowledge of culture over time. Findings revealed that both groups of students supported the essentialist view of culture. Although students supported the ideals of cultural care, students remained unaware of critical views of culture.

To evaluate whether clinicians consider the impact of culture on diabetes management, a survey was mailed to 300 randomly selected patients > or = 50 years with type 2 diabetes and 153 surveys were returned. Data were correlated with A1C values. African Americans (AA) and non-Hispanic whites (NHW), (91.9%, 97.0%) respectively, reported clinicians discussed benefits of controlling blood sugar but did not discuss effects of cultural issues on glucose control (< or = 50%). AAs perceived clinicians were more accommodating of their cultural preferences than did NHWs (49.2% versus 30.6%) (P < .05). Females (51.9%) (P < .01) reported that clinicians acknowledged the importance of their cultural beliefs with a slightly higher percentage for African American females (54.8%) versus non-Hispanic White females (48.6%). Understanding the patient's and clinician's views of cultural beliefs as they relate to diabetes self-management can provide perspectives to guide care.

This study examined the relationship of prejudicial attitudes to psychological, social, and physical well-being among 495 college students in the Northeast region of the United States. Prejudicial attitudes included racism, sexism, homophobia, physical disability bias, weight/body-size bias, and anti-immigrant sentiment. As a secondary objective, we examined the associations among the various forms of prejudice and their relationship to key demographic and personal characteristics. We also examined the associations between psychological, social, and physical well-being. The results indicated that specific forms of prejudice, especially racism and sexism, were negative correlates of psychological, social, and/or physical well-being. The results also indicated that there may exist a prejudicial syndrome, linking diverse forms of prejudice. Furthermore, poor functioning in one area of well-being (e.g., psychological health) is related to poor functioning in other areas of well-being (social and physical health). Overall, this study provides important implications for future research and prevention programs in the area of prejudice and well-being.

Routine male circumcision (RMC) has been found effective in preventing HIV infection in Africa; at the same time, incidence of HIV infection has been rising in China. Hence, RMC may be a possible means by which Chinese nationals could address increasing HIV infection rates. A focus group study was conducted to explore perceptions of RMC among mainland Chinese nationals. The results indicated that 1) 90% of participants considered RMC to be an unfamiliar and culturally sensitive topic; 2) 80% felt that being uncircumcised had not created significant health drawbacks for them or males they knew; and 3) the group believed that RMC would not be a good strategy to address rising HIV rates and were dubious about the idea of mandated RMC in China. For Chinese nationals, cultural traditions regarding RMC appear to outweigh concerns about HIV infection.

The purpose of this study was to describe breast cancer fear according to phase of survivorship, determine whether breast cancer fear levels differed among survivorship phases, and determine the relationship between fear and age in African-American breast cancer survivors. The study utilized secondary data analysis from the study, Inner Resources as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being in AABCS. A new subscale entitled, "Breast Cancer Fear" was adapted from the Psychological Well Being Subscale by Ferrell and Grant. There was no significant difference between fear and phase of survivorship. There was a significant positive relationship between age and fear.

Education has played a central role in identity confusion, and to this day, it is used to assimilate American Indians. For those American Indians who persist through doctoral degrees and enter academe, resisting assimilation is especially risky and often tiresome. In this conceptual exploration of identity, Cultural Contracts theory serves to illuminate the path of the American Indian academic journey. Although never applied in an American Indian context, cultural contracts theory may provide a bridge between the seemingly disparate strains of identity research and leave us with a sense of scope and potential for the theory's application.

The minority population in the US is expected to overtake the nonHispanic Caucasian population by 2050. Compounding this demographic shift are the significant disparities between Caucasian and non Caucasian groups especially with regard to income, living standards, health and access to healthcare and vital services. Thus, healthcare and social service programs are being charged with identifying barriers and providing effective, culturally competent care to reduce these disparities in health and quality of life. But the issue of poverty and access is global and disparities affect communities worldwide. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to assess the service concerns of 137 low-income or poor consumers receiving healthcare and social services in publicly funded facilities. Utilizing a modified cultural competence assessment tool, this study evaluates the impact of race/ethnicity on the experiences of receiving vital services and identifies factors that impact the help-seeking decisions made by consumers. Recommendations for practitioners and organizations to help promote effective models of services for a vulnerable, diverse population are provided.

Latina women are almost twice as likely to die from cervical cancer as Caucasian women. In response to this disparity, qualitative study has been devoted to this topic. In order to generalize knowledge, insights gleaned through qualitative research methodology may be integrated through meta-synthesis, a methodology that has developed in nursing and related health sciences. The primary purpose of this meta-synthesis was to obtain information about Latinas' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding cervical cancer and its screening. After applying inclusion criteria, nine studies were located. Results were organized around four areas of inquiry that cross-cut primary studies: 1) Latina participants' knowledge of cervical cancer and its prevention; 2) barriers for regular cervical cancer screening; 3) facilitators that encouraged such screening; and 4) recommendations on how to provide screening for Latina women. Findings indicated that culturally appropriate education and improving accessibility to health care were the most important overall themes for future efforts to improve screening rates among Latinas in the United States.