EDU8702 Reflection And Evaluation

Culture can be described as the lifeblood of a vibrant society which can be expressed in different ways by which individuals tell their stories, remember their past as well as entertain themselves and imagine the future (Raman et al., 2017). The creative expression of the individuals help in defining what they are, how they should see the world through the eyes of the others.

Along with the intrinsic values, culture is also seen to provide significant as well as social benefits. With the improvement of learning and health along with increased tolerance and opportunities to come together with many others help in enhancing the quality of lives. It also increases the overall well being for the communities as well as for individual (Couzos & Thiele, 2016).

My parents and family had always infused in me not only the importance of maintaining my own culture and traditions but also had taught me to ensure a transparent outlook towards the other cultures as well. I had always respected my cultural heritage and had not conducted any activities that would affect the emotions associated with culture of my own kin. At the same time, I had always provided respect for other cultures and had kept a broad mind to accept their cultural preferences and traditions. I have never judged the rationale and emotions behind the preferences and inhibitions that others follow regarding their own culture.

However, after I started maintaining a reflective diary for my personal skills and value development, I came to notice some factors that was concealed till now in my subconscious mind. Although I used to talk with students and other individuals of aboriginals origin freely and frankly, I still had cultural biasness where I used to think about my culture being superior to them. This form of unconscious cultural biasness initially shocked me and after I realized this fact, I tried to closely monitor my behavior and attitudes. I realized that I always acted dominant to whatever they said or felt and it was not at all a sensitive approach of communication with people of other cultural backgrounds. I realized that I often used to ask them about the poor health conditions to them asking them the reason. Although, I have thought that I am being sympathetic to them, but they might have taken it in a disappointing way thinking that I was humiliating their condition.

The recent modules that are based on cultural safety and competence of the healthcare professionals had helped me to realize the different mistakes that I had made while communicating with them. I have come to understand the history that lies behind their poor living and health condition. I also understood the different factors that had created so much distress and had led to poor quality lives and disorders increasing the gap between the health status of the natives and the non-natives.

While researching more on the topic as a part of my curriculum, I also came across several journal articles. Many journal articles had been also published in the recent years depicting the poor social, financial and health conditions of the aboriginal in Canada as well. Just like he Aboriginals of Australia, the Aboriginals of Canada are living very poor quality lives and faces culturally incompetent care services from the healthcare departments of their nation (Kendell & Barnett, 2015).

If one tries to compare the situations of both the native population of the nation, a mirror image can be seen. Both poorer healths was seen to be present in both the population reflecting the failure of the government of both the nation to address the social, cultural as well as healthcare needs of the people. Cultural incompetency of the healthcare centers had been one of the contributors that had created a barrier making the native people apprehensive in taking support from the western generation (Clifford et al., 2015).

I have found more papers that have shown that the Aboriginals of Canada also have lower levels of education, inadequate housing as well as crowded living conditions. They are also seen to suffer from lower income levels as well as well as higher rates of unemployment. They have higher levels of incarceration as well as higher rates of death among children and young people due to unintentional injuries. Higher rates of suicide are also present.

Therefore, I have understood that improper cultural competence can as a healthcare factor might act as barrier that might impede the approach of the native people towards western healthcare system. Every professionals need to have cultural sensitivity, cultural awareness and cultural competency. I should overcome cultural biasness and have to be careful so that I can ensure culturally competent care for my clients.

References:

Clifford, A., McCalman, J., Bainbridge, R., & Tsey, K. (2015). Interventions to improve cultural competency in health care for Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA: a systematic review. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 27(2), 89-98.

Couzos, S., & Thiele, D. D. (2016). Aboriginal peoples participation in their health care: A patient right and an obligation for health care providers. Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal, 40, 6.

Kendall, E., & Barnett, L. (2015). Principles for the development of Aboriginal health interventions: culturally appropriate methods through systemic empathy. Ethnicity & health, 20(5), 437-452.

Raman, S., Ruston, S., Irwin, S., Tran, P., Hotton, P., & Thorne, S. (2017). Taking culture seriously: Can we improve the developmental health and well?being of Australian Aboriginal children in out?of?home care?. Child: care, health and development, 43(6), 899-905.