Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:An Overview of the Culture of Health Care
Lecture:Learning more about the culture of health care
Slide content:Culture is Plural and Partial For any particular kind of person, group, or situation, more than one culture will always be in play No single cultural tradition or reference defines or explains behaviors or interaction We have to think of the plural, partial cultures for a full understanding of any observation 6
Slide notes:Another aspect of a modern concept of culture is that it is always plural and always partial. Few of us belong to a single cultural group. For any particular type of person, group or situation, theres usually more than one culture in play. No single cultural traditional reference can define or explain behaviors or interactions. Consider a middle-aged nurse from Texas who may participate in a particular religion, whose background may include particular educational or other experiences. The behavior of this nurse is unlikely to be completely explained by any one of these cultural elements. Some behavior may be a reflection of the professional culture of nurses and the type of provider setting the nurse worked in such as a hospital, physician's office or clinic. Other behavior may be a reflection of a Texas upbringing, or a reflection of an MBA degree, or experience as an engineer. The point is, to paraphrase Michael Agar [ ah - gahr ], culture is always plural and always partial. Think about how this might relate to understanding culture in health care settings, where so many different professional, organizational, and other cultures interact on a day-to-day basis. 6