Cultures
- Exploring a Family’s Culture, Illness, and Care
- What do you think caused your child’s health problem?
- Why do you think it started when it did?
- How severe is your child’s sickness? Will it have a short or long course?
- How do you think your child’s sickness affects your family?
- What are the chief problems your child’s sickness has caused?
- What kind of treatment do you think your child should receive?
- What are the most important results you hope to receive from your child’s treatment?
- What do you fear most about your child’s sickness?
- Cultural practices the Dominant culture may consider abusive
- Coining:
- A Vietnamese practice may produce welt-like lesions on the child’s back when the edge of a coin is repeatedly rubbed lengthwise on the oiled skin to rid the body of disease.
- Cupping:
- An Old-World practice (also practiced by the Vietnamese) of placing a container (e.g., tumbler, bottle, jar) containing steam against the skin to “draw out the poison” or other evil elements. When the heated air in the container cools, a vacuum is created that produces a bruise-like blemish on the skin directly beneath the mouth of the container.
- Burning:
- A practice of some Southeast Asian groups whereby small areas of skin is burned to treat enuresis and temper tantrums.
- Female genital mutilation (female circumcision):
- Removal of or injury to any part of the female genitalia; practiced in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, India, Asia, North America, Australia, and Western Europe.
- Forced kneeling:
- A child discipline measure of some Caribbean groups in which a child is forced to kneel for a long time.
- Topical garlic application:
- A practice of Yemenite Jews in which crushed garlic cloves of garlic–petroleum jelly plaster is applied to the wrists to treat infectious disease. The practice can result in blisters or garlic burns.
- Traditional remedies that contain lead:
- Greta and azarcon (Mexico; used for digestive problems), paylooah (Southeast Asia; used for rash or fever), and surma (India; used as a cosmetic to improve eyesight).
- Coining:
