Key Concepts (printable)

Culture
Definition:	Culture is defined as the sum of one's beliefs, rituals, customs and practices that guide thinking, decisions and actions in a patterned way. They are learned throughout a lifetime and passed on through generations.
Examples:	Examine Culture in the following examples: Example 1: Different cultures have different beliefs about what may cause illness. Some Hispanic and Asian cultures believe that illness is caused by an imbalance of hot and cold in the body. Example 2: Different cultures have different beliefs about which family member makes decisions. In much of American culture the parent makes the decision. In some cultures, it is always the father who makes the decisions. In other cultures, it is one of the older family members (e.g. grandfather or grandmother).
Application:	When meeting a patient or family for the first time, be aware that their beliefs and practices may differ from your own. Try to learn as much as you can about the family's life and how they view the world.
Social Factors
Definition:	Social Factors refer to environmental factors which affect how the family functions. These include (but are not limited to) financial factors (such as socioeconomic status or type of - or lack of - insurance), logistical factors (such as transportation or juggling may demands), housing, childcare and accessible health care. Social factors sometimes include family relationships or family dynamics which affect a child or family member. This often, in turn, influences emotional factors.
Examples:	Examples of some Social Factors are: Example 1: Sometimes families do not buy medications that they need because they do not have insurance or cannot afford the co-pay. Example 2: A child may come to clinic dirty, not because the mother doesn't care about cleanliness but because the water has been off and the landlord refuses to return her phone calls. Example 3: A child's divorced parents may be angry at each other, causing tension in the family and interfering with the consistency of his care as he moves between their homes.
Application:	It is always important to learn as much as you can about the social context in which a family lives. This will help you understand the choices they make and the constraints they are under.
Emotional Factors
Definition:	Emotional Factors often influence how an individual behaves. Sometimes what the person is feeling is very evident. Sometimes a person's behavior is an attempt to manage, or cover up, painful feelings. When a person acts in a way that "doesn't make sense" it is always advisable to consider that the person may be experiencing emotions that influence how he or she is perceiving or reacting to a situation. Sadness, worry, guilt, futility, joy, hope and many other feelings can all affect behavior.
Examples:	Examples of some Emotional Factors are: Example 1: If a father becomes very angry when told his son will have to have another diagnostic procedure, his anger may be masking underlying feelings. The father may be worried about how he will manage getting his son to the procedure without missing work, he may be scared about his son's illness, he may be disappointed that the father-son outing he had planned will have to be delayed. Example 2: If a mother bursts into tears upon learning that her child has mild asthma, she may have strong underlying emotions. It may be that her own mother died of Emphysema earlier that year and that she cannot bear having her own child have lung problems as well. She may feel guilty, feeling that she has passed on lung problems to her child.
Application:	When you observe an individual acting in a way that confuses or concerns you, try to learn a little more about what he or she is feeling, and the meaning of the current situation to the person. This may help you understand how he or she is behaving.