Writting paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Writting paper - Essay Example It is in this regard that this essay aims to present what the concept of culture is. Further, this paper would delve into the influence of this concept to perceptions of health and illness in the health care profession. Finally, a determination of the importance of understanding culture when planning health care would also be identified. Delaune and Ladner (388) in their book on Fundamentals of Nursing defined culture as â€Å"knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, habits, customs, languages, symbols, rituals, ceremonies, and practices that are unique to a particular group of people†. Simple folks ordinarily know culture as a way of life. the roles and responsibilities of nursing evolving continuously, a conceptual framework to better understand the effects of cultures on health care was developed by Dr. Madeleine Leininger in her transcultural nursing theory. Dr. Leininger stated Culturally competent care can only occur when culture care values are known and serve as the foundation for meaningful care.† The assumptions incorporated in this theory are: (1) every culture has some kind of system for health care that is based on values and behavior of people; and (2) cultures have certain methods for providing health care often unknown to nurses from other cultures. (Delaune and Ladner 403) The relevance of understanding the concept of diversity in culture is of utmost importance to the nursing profession due to the different profiles of patients they administer health care to. Profiles of patients are incorporated in the culture of their specific countries. Their expectations to the delivery of patient care also depend on the orientations they are accustomed to in their respective countries. Delaune and Ladner (389) presented distinct characteristics of culture which exist among cultural groups and among individuals within a single culture, to wit: (1) culture is learned and taught; (2) culture is

The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Essay

The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children - Essay Example Viewers invariably have the entire family and perhaps none of the family members escape this all pervasive and negative influence. Children, with impressionable and tender psyches, are increasingly witnessing real-life violence, either in their homes, streets, schools, work places and almost everywhere. This violence has not only assumed epidemic proportions but is a sad and painful reflection on our society when recipients of violence are children, particularly in domestic environment. An environment which is otherwise supposed to protect and nurture young ones instead works to leave deep scars of hostile violence. To top it all provocations may be extremely trivial. This state of affair constitutes both a public health and moral/philosophical crises. The United States (US) has the highest homicide rate in the world. The US homicide rate for young men is 73 times greater than that observed in comparable industrialized nations. Largely uncontrolled proliferation of guns and other lethal weapons is linked directly, for one, to the increased homicide rates among children and for two, to the numbers of violent incidents that children may witness. On an average each day in the US, 9 children are murdered, guns wound 30 children, and 307 children are arrested for violent crimes. Purpose of the Study As the impact of violence on young children is the focus of this study, it is important to consider the culture in which children and their families are embedded. The social history of the US has always given more emphasis to traditions of individual rights and individualism over any perceived or real collective good. This philosophical stance underlies the tolerance of violence against women and the practices of corporal punishment in families. Historically, the emphasis on individual rights dictated that a man had unfettered rights on affairs of his household and that issues in family discipline were not the business of government or the courts. Prior to the late 1800s, children had few rights distinct from their families of birth. In fact it is an irony of societal logic that agencies were established to protect the rights of animals before agencies were established to protect the rights of children. It was not until the 1960s that state agencies were set up with specific legal ma ndates to protect children from familial abuse and neglect. This historical tradition of the supremacy of individual rights also contributed to the inability of the US to regulate gun ownership and possession. It is within this culture that families raise children. Definition of Terms The term violence encompasses a broad