Asian-Indian Group of People - Essay Example

MIH514 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives - Mod SLP Introduction For this assignment, the culture group chosen is Asian-Indian group of people. The mostimportant reason that this group is chosen is that their origin has a rich cultural heritage, they started migrating to the United States in the early part of nineteenth century, they had enough time for acculturation with the innate culture of the United States leading to a different culture in the younger generation, many cultural studies have delineated different aspects of their culture in details, there is not much of a problem in acquiring all the information about this cultural group, and lastly, the Asian Americans comprise of the third largest racial or ethnic minority group in the United States. This represents a relevant population who need healthcare, and hence there would be cross-cultural issues in seeking and receiving healthcare. Therefore, the healthcare professionals must be oriented to the transcultural models of delivery of healthcare for effective interventions and communication. From that point of view there would be great worth in studying this group as a model in order to lead to specific practice oriented knowledge. Prunell (2003) highlighted the fact that any culture has multiple subcultures and ethnic groups. This is also true for Asian Indians residing in the United States. This fact is important since many behavioral patterns, belief systems, life customs interact to produce the decision making in a person, which is very relevant in healthcare. While both implicit and explicit cultural norms generate within the family structures and hence country of origin, the final form of culture is actually a product of ethnic heritage and the dominant culture where they reside and which they identify with. There would definitely be differences with the dominant American culture, since people always link their cultural behaviors with many other factors such as nationality, education, socioeconomic status, and other factors such as sexual orientation as a functional unifier of collective action in a new country, while at the same time remaining aware about the basic differences (Purnell, 2003). The Prunell model would thus serve as a great instrument to study this culture, and this approach would produce the means of a structured study of this cultural group in question. A structured cultural analysis is important since that allows specific identifiers of powerful influences on health and illnesses of these groups which are largely unconscious but powerful. Transcultural healthcare norms indicate the need to respect, remain aware, and integrate clients cultural practices and beliefs in care provisions. This means when healthcare is planned or interventions are designed, the healthcare providers must acquire cultural competence in order to integrate a culturally sensitive plan with the health beliefs of the population. Moreover communication on the part of care providers must reflect cultural awareness and overcome uncertainties related to politically incorrect language, which in turn is determined by the true nature of the ethnic and cultural diversity of the population in question. This would also help the care provider understand the cultural constructs in the health-related needs that is immensely meaningful in both health and illness (Dreher & MacNaughton, 2002) The first two items of Prunell model are overview/heritage and communication. Using this model, information from scientific literature will be collected and presented as descriptors, and this information will generate a better healthcare oriented cultural understanding about this population or culture group. Overview/Heritage 1. Origins Asian Indians originate from the Indian Peninsula, which is the most populous country in Soth Asia. This country is large and is the home of 900 million people, who themselves at origin have diverge language, religions, and ethnicity. The prominent religion is Hinduism; however, there are other minority religious groups. Officially Hindi is spoken as the major language, but English colonialism left the Indian population with the ability to speak English as a language, which is very common in urban populations. Apart from these many other languages are spoken regionally with several other dialects. Since the 1960s, large number of Asian Indians has left India and migrated for the United States, where in many urban areas, this blend has generated a different cultural form (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2010). 2. Residence Asian Indian original residences are basically predominantly rural to semi urban. However, there is a tendency to accommodate urban lifestyles, and thus most of the Indian residences are now concentrated in the major cities. The basic reasons for migration into the United States for Indians had been search for better economy with lesser possibilities of social discrimination or political inequities. Thus the tendency of the people migrated to the United States happened to stay in the urban areas with access to amenities of modern life. India is very thickly populated in the flat planes (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2010). 3. Topography This country is guarded in the North with the mountain terrains of the Himalayas, from which many rivers have sprung to create river valleys with lands worth cultivation. It has deserts in the west, and thus the climate varies from Alpine to temperate to subtropical monsoon. On the east this country has Bangladesh and on the west, it is neighbored with Pakistan, the people of which countries have many cultural similarities. The south has Indian Ocean, in the west the Arabian sea, and in the east, the Bay of Bengal cover its waters. On the north, Nepal is a small country within the Himalayas. The space occupied by India amounts to about 1,560,000 square miles (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2010). 4. Economics The current GDP of India is $1210 billion with a really growing economy at 6.5%. The recent estimates of per capita GDP are $3100. India has rich natural resources such as coal, iron ore, and crude oil. In the rural areas, agriculture is the main occupation of the people, which contributes to 17% of the GDP. There is parallel industrialization throughout several parts of the country, such as, steel, machinery, and computer software, which contributes to 28.2% of the GDP. However, the largest contribution comes from service and transportation which is 54.9% of the GDP. Although there is a recent surge in software exports contrary to the popular belief, the maximum trade in exports is related to industry, which amounts to $164.3 billion (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2010). 5. Politics India is a federal republic, which gained its independence from British colonial rule on August 15, 1947. This country is politically subdivided into 28 states, where the main divider is language and cultural congruence. The Indian National Congress is the major political party, which unfortunately is actually an example of familial rule, although democracy is the announced political principle. Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India, and many other regional political parties rule the scenario, and the governance structure is that of bicameral parliament headed by the prime minister and the president. In many cases peoples participation in politics is at the most very passive (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2010). 6. Education As mentioned earlier, the languages spoken in India are Hindi, English, and 16 other official languages. The urban and increasingly rural and semi urban population is educated. The compulsory education is K to 10, and this has increased the literacy rates, which are currently 61%. The standards of education in the urban areas are high, and many of the migrated population have distinctive academic achievements, which followed their migration into the United States (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2010). 7. Occupation Currently, India has an estimated work force of 467 million with the prime occupation being agriculture. About 52% of this work force is engaged in agricultural activity, and this is ingrained in the native culture of this peasant country. Even now, students to different universities in different disciplines work in the agricultural suburbs with their folks in United States in vacations or in weekends. About 14% of this work force is engaged in industry and commerce, and in the service and government sector, about 34% of this population is engaged (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2010). Sub-constructs of the Purnell model specific to “Communication” include: 1. Dominant language Hindi 2. Dialects Multiple dialects 3. Contextual use Very prominent contextual use is noted in this communicative people. However, interpersonal relationships are often distinguished by equanimity and serenity. Moderation in speech is practiced in families, where argumentativeness is discouraged strongly. It is also accepted that people should conceal displeasing emotions (Kallivayalil, 2004). 4. Volume/tone Volume and tones are high with dramatic tonality in close communications. However, in the sociocultural scenarios, silence is a sign of acceptance and respect. Talking in higher tones to superiors is viewed as demonstration of disrespect. 5. Spatial distancing Spatial distancing must be respectable and although less in socially close population, these have been noted to be more in unfamiliar surroundings. Maintaining distance is considered respectable. Public physical contacts even between very close family members are not practiced. (Kurien, 2005) 6. Eye contact Advanced population maintains eye contact. However, culturally, the elderly are respected in such societies, where talking with maintenance of eye contact is considered cultural audacity. With modernity things are changing currently. Silence and avoidance of eye contact are demonstrative of respect (Scollon, Diener, Oishi, & Biswas-Diener, 2004). 7. Facial expressions Communication is action oriented in this culture. The usual principles of verbal, emotional, and behavioral expressiveness hold good, where one-way communication from authority figure to the subordinate is very common. 8. Greetings In human interrelationships, there are influences of different philosophies and religions. Self-restraint is the rule, and in relationships, these are practiced in order to prevent a loss of face. Therefore, in social circumstances, greetings are hearty but mostly through nonverbal cues. This indicates that the feelings will be restrained. This results in well defined patterns of interactions, and there is strong emphasis on private versus public display of emotions. Although physical contact is not discouraged entirely, joining hands, smiling, or other gestures are preferred over close physical contacts (Kim & Ward, 2007). 9. Temporality Strong sense of temporality in communication is prevalent. 10. Time Time is viewed as a natural force, and this not only indicates the time of the day, also indicates the dimensions of eternity. Thus there senses of good time and bad time, which has a karmik dimension. Currently westernization is gradually abolishing the original senses of time. 11. Names Different forms of names are encountered, and in many cases, the names derive from ancient literature or names of gods or goddesses and hence respected. The first name is the given name and what follows is the title, which is the family name and roots at heritage. In some cases social titles are carried with name to justify the pride of the ancestry or heritage. Names if not properly pronounced may something different, which are not liked by this population. 12. Touch Touch is considered as violation of physical respect in public and social relations. Other bodily touch expressions which are very common in Western culture are viewed as socially and culturally unacceptable even in very intimate relationships. Bibliography Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. (2010, July 14). Background Note: India. Retrieved September 3, 2010, from US Department of State Diplomacy in Action : http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3454.htm Dreher, M., & MacNaughton, A. (2002). Cultural competence in nursing: Foundation or fallacy. Nursing Outlook (50), 181-186. Kallivayalil, D. (2004). Gender and Cultural Socialization in Indian Immigrant Families in the United States. Feminism Psychology (14), 535-559. Kim, J., & Ward, L. (2007). Silence Speaks Volumes: Parental Sexual Communication Among Asian American Emerging Adults. Journal of Adolescent Research (22), 3-31. Kurien, P. (2005). Being Young, Brown, and Hindu: The Identity Struggles of Second-Generation Indian Americans. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography (34), 434-469. Purnell, L. (2003). Transcultural diversity and health care. In L. Purnell, & B. Paulanka, Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach (pp. 1-7). Philadelphia: E A. Davis. Scollon, C., Diener, E., Oishi, S., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2004). Emotions Across Cultures and Methods. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology , 35, 304-326. Read More

This means when healthcare is planned or interventions are designed, the healthcare providers must acquire cultural competence in order to integrate a culturally sensitive plan with the health beliefs of the population. Moreover communication on the part of care providers must reflect cultural awareness and overcome uncertainties related to politically incorrect language, which in turn is determined by the true nature of the ethnic and cultural diversity of the population in question. This would also help the care provider understand the cultural constructs in the health-related needs that is immensely meaningful in both health and illness (Dreher & MacNaughton, 2002) The first two items of Prunell model are overview/heritage and communication.

Using this model, information from scientific literature will be collected and presented as descriptors, and this information will generate a better healthcare oriented cultural understanding about this population or culture group. Overview/Heritage 1. Origins Asian Indians originate from the Indian Peninsula, which is the most populous country in Soth Asia. This country is large and is the home of 900 million people, who themselves at origin have diverge language, religions, and ethnicity.

The prominent religion is Hinduism; however, there are other minority religious groups. Officially Hindi is spoken as the major language, but English colonialism left the Indian population with the ability to speak English as a language, which is very common in urban populations. Apart from these many other languages are spoken regionally with several other dialects. Since the 1960s, large number of Asian Indians has left India and migrated for the United States, where in many urban areas, this blend has generated a different cultural form (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2010). 2. Residence Asian Indian original residences are basically predominantly rural to semi urban.

However, there is a tendency to accommodate urban lifestyles, and thus most of the Indian residences are now concentrated in the major cities. The basic reasons for migration into the United States for Indians had been search for better economy with lesser possibilities of social discrimination or political inequities. Thus the tendency of the people migrated to the United States happened to stay in the urban areas with access to amenities of modern life. India is very thickly populated in the flat planes (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2010). 3. Topography This country is guarded in the North with the mountain terrains of the Himalayas, from which many rivers have sprung to create river valleys with lands worth cultivation.

It has deserts in the west, and thus the climate varies from Alpine to temperate to subtropical monsoon. On the east this country has Bangladesh and on the west, it is neighbored with Pakistan, the people of which countries have many cultural similarities. The south has Indian Ocean, in the west the Arabian sea, and in the east, the Bay of Bengal cover its waters. On the north, Nepal is a small country within the Himalayas. The space occupied by India amounts to about 1,560,000 square miles (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2010). 4. Economics The current GDP of India is $1210 billion with a really growing economy at 6.5%. The recent estimates of per capita GDP are $3100.

India has rich natural resources such as coal, iron ore, and crude oil. In the rural areas, agriculture is the main occupation of the people, which contributes to 17% of the GDP. There is parallel industrialization throughout several parts of the country, such as, steel, machinery, and computer software, which contributes to 28.2% of the GDP. However, the largest contribution comes from service and transportation which is 54.9% of the GDP. Although there is a recent surge in software exports contrary to the popular belief, the maximum trade in exports is related to industry, which amounts to $164.

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