Module 7: Culture and Health
Readings
Biswas-Diener, R., Diener, E., & Nadezhda Lyubchik, N. (2015). Well-being in Bhutan [PDF]. International Journal of Wellbeing, 6 (2), 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v5i2.1. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Chu, J. P., & Sue, S. (2011). Asian American Mental Health: What We Know and What We Don’t Know [PDF]. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-919.1026. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Pedersen, P. B. (2002). The Making of a Culturally Competent Counselor [PDF]. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1093. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Clements, W. M. (2020). The new age sweat lodge [PDF]. In E. Brady (Ed).,Culture and Medicine in Modern Health Belief Systems. University Press of Colorado. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46nwrq.10. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
Mathews, G. (2012). Happiness, culture, and context [PDF]. International Journal of Well-being, 2(4), 299-321. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v2.i4.2. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Teaching Materials
- Major Points
- PowerPoint Presentation [PPT]
- Selected video presentations (choose 1 or 2)
- Critical Thinking Questions
Major Points
-
- Health Belief System
- Optimal health
- Somatization
- Causes of illness
- Treatment
- Prevention of Illness
- Diversity in Health Care System
- Family and Gender roles
- Cultural norms of modesty
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Language Barriers
- Non-verbal behavior
- Implications for Treatment
- Cultural constructs of illnesses
- Cultural remedies
- Covid-19: Culture and Compliance
- “Tight” Cultures
- “Loose” Cultures
- Health Beliefs and Practice: China
- “Chi” – Life energy
- Massage, Acupuncture, Tai-chi
- Health Beliefs and Practice: India
- Yoga and Ayurveda
- Holistic
- 8-fold path to well-being
- Indigenous Health
- Deep connection with land and nature
- Traditional healers
- Healing Circle
- Harmful health consequences of colonization
- Health Belief System
Videos
CULTURE MATTERS – in health, illness, life and death. | Haris Agic | TEDxNorrkopingED (15:28)
Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
Challenges and Rewards of culturally-informed approach to mental health | Jessica Dere | TEDxUTSC (17 min, 57 sec)
Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
Indigenous Knowledge to Close Gaps in Indigenous Health | Marcia Anderson-DeCoteau | TEDxUManitoba (18:35)
Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
Culturally Competent Healthcare-Sickkids Journey to Cultural Competence (1:11:41)
Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 3.0
Critical Thinking Questions
Critical Thinking Questions
- During the current Covid-19 pandemic, there are many hateful anti-Chinese messages circulating in the social media. The famous singer Bryan Adams, for example blamed the pandemic on “some fucking bat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy bastards” for the spread of COVID-19”. In this tweet, he was obviously referring to people in China.
- Based on your understanding of the role of culture in health beliefs including diet preferences, how would you respond to Bryan Adams? (about 200 words)
- Avoid commonsense answers such as “educate yourself” or “it is not nice to talk bad about other cultures” Instead use psychological terms, scientific research, demographic data, and provide a brief scholarly write-up.
- What is stigma and shame, and how might they influence the mental health and/or service use among Indo-Canadians?
- If you were to form collaborations between mental health and other organizations to improve treatment for Chinese-Canadians, what would that look like? Which organizations would you target?
The third question above is adapted from
Chu, J. P., & Sue, S. (2011). Asian American Mental Health: What We Know and What We Don’t Know [PDF]. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-919.1026. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.