Gabriel Adeoye
The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing
In partial fulfillment of the requirements of
N3320 Nursing Holistic Health Assessment
Tami Andrews, RN, MSN
November 25, 2014
A culture is a way of life of a group of people--the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next. I am from West Africa, Yoruba land in Nigeria to be precise. We are big in culture and superstition, most especially in relation to healthcare. The Yoruba worldview perceptions of health and illness and the prevention and cure of ill-health is attached to destiny. Mythology plays a significant role in the explanation of heath conditions; good health is considered a good destiny, while ill-health is considered a negative destiny. Pathways to prevention and cure is usually favor the patronage of the traditional healing process, hospital care is sought only when all other attempts have failed.
Cultural questions:
1. My earliest experience with people of other culture that really amazed me, was my encounter with Americans about eye contact; in my culture, you look down when an elder/superior is talking to you otherwise it will be considered rude but in United States reverse is the case. It took me a while to adapt to this changes.
2. Friends I met here actually had most influence in the formation of my attitudes and opinions about people here in America, It was a total different culture and attitude from where I came from. For instance, in my culture it is acceptable for a man to hold another man’s hand; but here it is regarded as gay act.
3. The only influence that made me have partial negative feeling about my own culture was the indiscriminating touch; in my culture you can touch someone without his/her consent. Though, I felt strongly it is an act of disrespect rather than assault.
4. Comparing my old cultural background with my new America culture; I would like to change the monarchy system of government, I prefer it here where everybody is equal unlike in my old culture where some royal family see themselves to be superior to others.
5. I felt