Observing Effective Cultural Capabilities And Maintaining Safe Spaces: An Analysis Of House MD Season 2 Episode 18

Write a formal report to observe and analyse whether characters in a video scenario (from the choices given below) are showing effective cultural capabilities and maintaining a culturally safe space. Also, recommend how effective cultural capabilities of the characters in the video could be improved.

Choose the video clip you will analyse from the selection below.

As you think about which video clip to choose, observe the way that various social and cultural groups are represented in fictional scenes. When you are looking at narrative films, look for and try to comment on the hidden cultural communication also being shown. 

Background

This report seeks to bring to attention the aspect of cultural safety and to identify safe spaces that occur between individuals of different and unique cultural practices and alignment. Culture differs between people in a given setting. The difference in the culture is likely to bring conflicting interactions which may expose some to discrimination or being sidelined. For instance, cultural difference may bring ills such as a break in communication due to the language barrier. In this sense, therefore, it is vital that a better mechanism is devised in order to curb this difference that may result into a conflicting community. The aspect of solving such a problem is through the determination of a safe space that would ensure peaceful coexistence between people of different cultures.

This report focuses on the possible misgivings and misunderstandings brought up by communication barriers between two persons. This is evident for instance in the video clip of House MD episode 18 “sleeping dogs lie”. Various instances of communication breakdown are depicted in the clip. For example, Dr. House walks into the waiting room to meet the Chinese woman speaking her language that apparently Dr. House seems not to understand. The daughter translates what the mother wants which happens to be a birth control pill for a head cold. The use of medical terms initials such as PMS, URI seem challenging to the young Chinese girl. The extent of communication breakup depicts an unsafe place between the three.

This report, therefore, aims to clearly describe the situation, which happens to be a problematic language barrier between the doctor and the Chinese woman, and also to identify the communication breakdown which is evident between the translator and the doctor due to the use of medical terms in initials. It also tries to analyze why this situation is not safe between the persons involved. Also provided in the report is the recommendation so as to aid in making the situation safe for the coexistence between the people involved and others yet to find themselves in the same scenario to achieve safety of space.

In this video caption, it is evident that there is communication breakdown when the Chinese woman comes to the hospital with a translator, her daughter who seems to translate what her mother says but is mixed up since she seems to have a point of interest. Dr. House behaves in a manner likely to suggest that he is actively listening to what the girl is saying without clearly paying attention to the ailing mother. House exhibits facial expression to depict keen listening to the translation from the girl rather than the real ill lady. This a classic case of an unsafe place to be for the Chinese lady. The language barrier depicted here displays an exclusion that exists between the ailing mother and the doctor. 

Scope

Intercultural communication refers to the kind of communication that ensues between two or more people of different intercultural and linguistic backgrounds (Lingua.eu, 2018). According to Skillsyouneed.com (2018), intercultural communication is a necessary recipe for passing information across to people of different cultures and linguistic background. In the video clip under discussion, cultural intelligence which refers to the creation of a positively workable environment for people of different cultural alignment (Commonpurpose.org, 2018) is displayed in different instances. First, we see Dr. House who walks into the waiting room to attend to the patient who happens to be a Chinese woman not capable of expressing herself in English. Dr. House pulls a chair and sets himself down to listen to the translation of the Chinese lady's daughter. This sets a safe space for the positive interaction between the two intercultural different individuals.  

In the second part of the clip, intercultural communication ensues again and this time, featuring Dr. House, the Chinese lady and the daughter doing the translation. Dr. House’s listens carefully as the young girl translates what the mother is saying. There is a break of the cultural intelligence rule in this section especially when Dr. House discloses that he understands the language and proves so by speaking a line. This creates an unsafe space between the concerned parties since Dr. House displays pretense in the whole interaction and even identifies that the Chinese girl is giving some misleading information. 

Body language is highly depicted in the two scenes of the bilingual backfire. As Dr. House enters the waiting room and the Chinese lady starts talking, the daughter struggles to explain the situation of the mother for the understanding of the doctor. The facial expression on Dr. House’s face as the girl mentions pills for PMS shows the surprise and shock. Dr. House’s response to the girl sounds sarcastic and this is evident in the manner in which the girl’s body language shows embarrassment when Dr. House strikes her on how to acquire pills freely without the struggle to lie about her mum’s condition. This move by Dr. House to shut the Chinese girl down limits the safe space for the interaction between the three. According to Queensland Health (2018), such a move contravenes the requirement of cultural capabilities that require that people of different intercultural backgrounds act in a manner that supports, improve the delivery of services in an appropriate manner which protects and upholds good relations.

Aim

This shows extensively in the second part of the patient’s visit to the hospital. Apparently, the patient was given a mix of the medication earlier given to the daughter to give the mother. The swelling in the Chinese lady’s breast as a result of a mixture of the medication is really worrying the lady. Doctor House’s entry into the room is met by a quick motion of the lady picking the doctor’s hand and placing it on her chest. Dr. House quickly withdraws his hand a sign of a shock, Dr. House’s action is a show of cultural awareness which according to Quappe & Cantatore (2018) refers to an element of communication which requires self-awareness to uphold cultural values, perceptions and beliefs about certain elements of behavior such as inappropriate touch which may lead to legal actions especially in a hospital setting. However, doctor House maintains a safe space in this second part my voluntarily touching the woman's chest to confirm the swelling as part of his duty as a doctor which shows a sign of acceptance and conformity to the culture of the medical sector. 

Dr. House shows empathy towards the misfortune which has befallen the Chinese lady. His action to touch and feel the swelling on the woman’s chest is compassion in itself. He depicts concern when he shows disappointed on the action of the lady’s daughter by giving her mum a mixture of the earlier administered drugs. A show of compassion and concern depicts cultural intelligence as he seems accommodative and aware of his profession’s culture which requires him to put himself in the situation of the sick even as he handles their cases. The show of concern creates a positively safe space of inclusion between the doctor and his patient.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, therefore, the TV show has captured and clearly expressed the importance of upholding cultural capabilities and how a deviation from this could lead to unsafe or safe space between two or more people of different cultural background. According to Queensland Health (2010), there is the need that people identify and embark on self-reflection where one needs to identify his/her strengths and weaknesses in accordance to a working relationship.

Yehia (2018) notes that cultural intelligence is a base for regulating behavior when interacting with people of cross-cutting cultures. It teaches patience when handling situations that depict any breakage in the manner in which communication is undertaken. Doctor House exhibits patience with the situation to listen to the problem of the ailing Chinese lady as explained by the daughter. Patience and appreciation of others create a safe space for positive interaction. The Chinese girls should be sensitive if her cultural capabilities and realize the need to act culturally sound when interacting with people of cultural differences by not assuming that everybody she meets that is not of her origin would not understand her language. Her lies limited the safe space that existed between her and the doctor.

References

Bilingual Backfire / Playing With - TV Tropes. (2018). Retrieved from https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/PlayingWith/BilingualBackfire 

Cross-cultural capabilities | Queensland Health. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/health_workers/train-evaluate 

Intercultural communication – lanqua.eu. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.lanqua.eu/theme/intercultural-communication/ 

Intercultural Communication | SkillsYouNeed. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/intercultural-communication.html 

Quappe, S., & Cantatore, G. (2018). Culturosity Article: What is Cultural Awareness?. Retrieved from https://www.culturosity.com/articles/whatisculturalawareness.htm 

Queensland Health. (2010). Cross-cultural capability one: self-reflection: understanding ‘self’[Ebook]. Retrieved from https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/382696/ccc-clinical.pdf 

What is Cultural Intelligence?. (2018). Retrieved from https://commonpurpose.org/knowledge-hub-archive/all-articles/what-is-cultural-intelligence/ 

Yehia, Y. (2018). The Importance of Cultural Intelligence in International Business. Retrieved from https://globaledge.msu.edu/blog/post/55562/the-importance-of-cultural-intelligence