Cultural Misconceptions Research Articles

"Us Against Them": Schools, Families, and the Diagnosis of ADHD Among Black Children.

Prior research indicates that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is underdiagnosed, or less likely to be diagnosed, among Black children relative to White children and children in other non-Black racial categories. Scholars have suggested that this may be a result of cultural biases or misconceptions that affect the ways classroom behavior is interpreted. The purpose of this pilot study was to engage a larger theoretical framework that explores the relationships between parents and teachers and to examine some of the ways in which common cultural misconceptions can lead to flawed behavioral ascriptions in the classroom, producing negative social outcomes for Black children. Findings from ethnography and interviews reveal that the most common barriers in this low-income neighborhood school setting included poor parent-teacher rapport, a general lack of basic understanding for how ADHD can affect classroom behavior, and faulty procedures in the school setting based on cultural stereotypes. These findings suggest that school officials' disinclination to recommend ADHD testing for Black children may be largely a result of the aforementioned obstacles. A larger study based on these results may produce more robust findings about the barriers that contribute to racial disparities in ADHD diagnoses.

Sustainability and Indigenous tourism insights from social media: worldview differences, cultural friction and negotiation

ABSTRACT Indigenous tourism researchers have not fully embraced social media as fieldwork sites in their own right. This paper explores, from a social media perspective, the (online) engagement of Indigenous tour operators with tourists, the role of differences in tourist-Indigenous worldviews in the tour experience, and the sustainability implications. Data consisted of 588 tourist reviews and 137 operator responses, pertaining to four Indigenous tour experiences offered in Australia. Findings suggest that dissatisfied tourists expect tours to be run on Western management models, and in response, Indigenous tour operators have the opportunity to act as cultural negotiators online, explaining their own worldviews and cultural approaches. Three components of this cultural negotiation emerged: identifying and embracing worldview differences; delineating the larger cultural context of tours; and, rebuttal of misrepresentations in online tourist reviews. In addition, amongst themselves, tourists educate each other on cultural etiquette and interpretation. From a sustainability perspective it was found that Indigenous tour operator voices are minimally represented in tourism social media – a missed opportunity to correct cultural misconceptions and clarify differences, to “speak” for themselves, creating a stronger, more assertive online voice. Policy interventions to increase Indigenous operators’ participation in social media, including training and assistance, could help.

The Politics of Credibility: Assembling Decisions on Asylum Applications in Brazil

Decisions to deny asylum are often based on highly speculative credibility assessments. Language barriers, trauma, and cultural misconceptions have all been shown to impact the perceptions examiners form about cases. Yet, although contestable in principle, many negative rulings retain an aura of objectivity and are accepted as justified by the case’s lack of empirical support and legal fit. This article examines how this aura of objectivity is accomplished. How is it that the essentially contestable nature of credibility assessments gets downplayed, so that the decision to deny asylum appears to be dictated by law and evidence? To address this question, the article draws on a case encountered during ethnographic research on the work of status determination in Brazil: the decision to deny refugee status to the asylum seeker known as Mrs. Z. It is argued that maintaining the perception that there was a pivotal moment of definition is a central aspect of how the decision to deny Mrs. Z’s request came across as warranted. Talk of a pivotal moment of definition, the article shows, fosters the perception that the relevant sources of controversy “have been dealt with,” foreclosing the possibility of dissent. Drawing on the work of American ethnomethodologist Michael Lynch, I adapt the notion of “phase-work” to refer to this discursive device.

INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS DISCOURSE: CHARACTERISTICS OF KAZAKH CONTEXT

Many cross-cultural business interactions quite often constitute a source of cultural misinterpretations and misconceptions. Typically each party uses native strategies to communicate across groups. Different cultures also use their own methods to interpret verbal and non-verbal messages. Therefore, developing a deeper understanding of cross-cultural communicational preferences is critical for any successful international business venture, which stems active research interest in this area. This article, in particular, focuses on a comparative analysis of Kazakh business communication style against different established communication patterns across the globe, e.g. a tendency towards following collective cultural patterns within Kazakh community with resulting implications on the importance of space and privacy, relational and collaborative business inclinations, and intuitive communication style preferences. The article also covers the significance of age and preferences. Finally, cultural roots for preferred communication channels, directness, writing clarity and conciseness in Kazakh business discourse are explained. Often it is the historical development of the community that shapes the mentality, styles of spoken and written communication, as well as methods of interpreting messages from other cultures. These trends are demonstrated on the development of modern Kazakh business discourse preferences and traits. Overall, the article shows that it is not only important to be aware of differences in cultural communication conceptions, but even more important to recognize them, place and interpret the message within the right cultural context. This work aims to present a well-rounded overview of Kazakh business discourse preferences, serving as a guideline for cross-cultural business communication as well as an important contributing piece to the field of intercultural studies. Keywords: Business Discourse, Intercultural Communication, Kazakh communication preferences.

Identity and social challenges for persons with bleeding disorders: a gender and sex comparative approach

ABSTRACTBleeding disorders are genetic conditions which involve impaired blood clotting. This may lead to disability. The predominant symptoms usually differ depending on biological sex, which implicates that the disabling mechanisms of bleeding disorders are gendered. Here we review sex-specific symptoms from bleeding disorders and how they can disable gender identities. We found that men's masculinity can be compromized by sickliness, economic dependency and reduced ability to participate in sports and other risk-taking activities. Women's femininity, on the other hand, can be compromized by challenges related to their fertility and cultural misconceptions concerning menstrual hygiene. Both men and women with bleeding disorders experience a general lack of understanding in society at large regarding their unique problems. Women in particular are subject to late diagnosis and disbelief, due to a common misperception that bleeding disorders exclusively affect men. Theories on hegemonic masculinity and fem...

Education for Disabled Children in Bangladesh: Perceptions, Misconceptions and Challenges

Despite having specific policy, laws and services, disabled children in Bangladesh are facing troubles in obtaining education. Poverty, limited institutional services, lack of trained teachers, weak academic support, etc. are the most common visual causes behind their physically challenged conditions but the root causes remains hidden in our social system. The paper describes as to how people view the concept, educational need and importance of the disabled children while considering existing social, cultural and religious misconceptions and stigmas. Besides, opinion of the respondent are also described here. Based on quantitative research method, the data was collected from disabled children, their parents and their teachers through interviews and observation of the researchers. The findings reveal that majority of the population considered in the study are still maintaining different attitudes. Moreover, religious and cultural trends are not in favour of the disabled children. Families are found more attentive and sensitive but external supports are not appropriate to ensure their educational rights with harmony. Even disabled children often fail to receive proper cooperation and mental support from their institutions, society and from their parents. However, changes are visible but at a slower pace, and this trend should be speeded up. The paper also probes for the opinions and suggestions of the parents and teachers to overcome those barriers and limitations. The study was conducted in the Sylhet city of Bangladesh covering general and specialised schools where disabled children attend.Â

Board #202 - Program Innovation Simulated Organ Donation Requests (Submission #9770)

Objectives To use simulation to train Family Services Coordinators (FSCs) to apply best practices for organ donation requests. To recognize the value of using simulation to train Family Services Coordinators to apply best practices for organ donation requests. To identify key components of using simulation to train Family Services Coordinators to apply best practices for organ donation requests. Description Though organ transplantation is an unequaled intervention for the reversal of terminal illness, a critical shortage of donated organs exists. Misconceptions about donating organs are the primary reasons people decline. Hence, Family Services Coordinators who make donation requests must be highly competent. The purpose of our simulation education program is to promote best practices by FSCs when making organ donations requests. Our Simulation Center collaborated with the Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency (ARORA) to plan and conduct a series of simulations. Cases are designed for registered donors and non-registered donors. Standardized participants (SPs) are trained to portray family members with common misconceptions and emotional needs. One session is designed for African-American donors, among which unique cultural misconceptions exists. FSCs engage the SPs to request organ donation. Best practices include dual advocacy, in which the FSCs advocate for the potential organ recipients as well as the donor’s family. The simulations were observed by the ARORA Manager, a debriefing expert on our simulation staff as well as other FSCs. An in-depth debriefing followed each simulation in which all of the learners and observers participated. Conclusion The simulations are well-received by ARORA and appear to have benefited both ARORA and our Medical Center. Pre- and post-simulation comparisons of the annual rates of authorization for organ donations among the FSCs demonstrate a clinically significant increase in post-simulation donation rates. In one FSC, the annual rate of donation has increased over three-fold, from 29% to 100%. The ARORA Manager attributed the simulation education as the catalyst for this FSC’s improvement. A pre- and post-simulation comparison of the annual number of transplants at our Medical Center also demonstrated a clinically significant improvement. In 2012, our Medical Center transplanted 17 livers from ARORA organ donors. In 2013, 32 livers were transplanted from ARORA organ donors. Our data suggests that one of the contributing factors associated with this increase may have been the simulation education intervention, which the ARORA Manager described as a quality and safe learning environment for the FSCs to practice and get feedback about facilitating donation conversations that are compassionate, thorough, non-anxious and value positive. Collaboration between a Simulation Center and an organ donation organization is feasible and can potentially improve performance and clinical outcomes. Disclosures None

Reasons for the low uptake of adult male circumcision for the prevention of HIV transmission in Swaziland

Swaziland is currently experiencing the worst impact of HIV and AIDS of any country in the world. In an effort to curb further spread of the virus, the country adopted mass male circumcision (MC) as recommended by the World Health Organization in 2007. Despite intense campaigns to promote the procedure over the past three years, the uptake of circumcision remains very low for reasons that are not very clear. The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons for the low uptake of MC in Swaziland despite the massive national MC campaigns. A qualitative research design was used, in which all men who were targeted by the mass MC campaign were eligible. Participants were identified as they came for sexual and reproductive health services at the Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS) Clinic, Mbabane. In-depth, individual face-to-face unstructured interviews were conducted to elicit the reasons why men were not going for circumcision. A total of 17 men were interviewed. Results showed that these reasons include fear of the procedure and the possible outcome, perception of no significant benefit of the procedure, impatience about waiting for the procedure or the healing process, religious/cultural beliefs, and worries about the fate of the foreskin. These reasons were attributed to misconceptions and lack of accurate and specific information about some aspects of the circumcision strategy of HIV preventions. Physiological changes and economic activities associated with adulthood were also found to be hindrances to MC uptake. The study recommended that a comprehensive description of the procedure and more precise facts and scientific bases of the MC strategy be incorporated and emphasised in the MC campaigns. Involvement of religious leaders will also facilitate clarification of religious or cultural misunderstandings or misconceptions. A focus on neonatal MC would also help.

Autonomy in refusing life saving interventions: religious and cultural misconceptions

Autonomy is widely accepted to be the third pillar of medical ethics. However, if it comes to refusal of life saving treatments, some extra considerations are necessary, especially if decisions are made by surrogate decision makers. Four cases of problematic decision making are presented here, followed by a discussion about the cultural and religious misconceptions about the rights of surrogate decision makers.

Using working agreements in participatory action research: working through moral problems with Malaysian students

In this paper we propose that taking time before the work begins to develop agreements about how to work together in participatory action research enables researchers to directly address several ethical issues that can be problematic in this type of research: gaining fully informed consent; in-group confidentiality; cultural misconceptions; and protecting participants from risky self-disclosures. We begin by discussing some of these ethical challenges that can arise in participatory work, especially with young people. We argue that these issues are magnified and politicised in certain politico-cultural settings, and therefore are all the more important when working cross-culturally. Drawing on the findings of the lead writer’s doctoral thesis, which sought to find a more relevant way of teaching moral education in a Malaysian setting by including the voices of young people, we show how participants responded to attempts to address these issues by creating a safe space in which to discuss sensitive topics through the use of a working agreement. Responses indicate that when such an agreement was in place, the young people in this Malaysian study experienced a greater sense of safety, greater encouragement to participate, and were more confident in their ability to solve ethical problems than in situations where there was no working agreement. Furthermore, the agreement enabled the researcher to be more aware of, and responsive to, the cultural context of the participants.

Paradoxes of Romantic Folklorism

The emergence of the study of folklore as a discipline at the end of eighteenth century caused important changes in literature, theatre and art. Folklore became a source of new themes and contributed to the renewal of poetic language. But the romantic interest in folk culture also revealed a variety of literary, cultural and political misconceptions, the most easily discernible in numerous works of lesser, if not altogether questionable, literary quality. Romantic writers believed in the inspirational power of folklore, hoping to invent a true national culture with mystical undertones. This conviction, however, veiled artistic failures and political disappointments.

Spirit(ed) away: preventing foetal alcohol syndrome with motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy

Foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a growing concern in South Africa. In the Western Cape, prevalence rates for FAS are the highest in the world. Not surprisingly, the Western Cape also has some of the highest levels of alcohol consumption per capita. Although FAS is primarily caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy, the high rate of FAS in South Africa originates from a multitude of complex factors. These factors include heritage, poverty, high levels of unemployment and low-paid menial jobs, depression, low self-esteem, low self-efficacy, increased accessibility to alcohol, lack of recreation, poor education, familial pressure, denial, cultural misconceptions and the smaller physiques of some of the women in the Western Cape. Holistic and comprehensive macro- and micro-level approaches are necessary in order to change the alcohol consumption trend that has developed over the last 300 years. No single strategy will reduce or eliminate the burden of alcohol misuse in this society. However, as the presented discussion suggests, combining the spirit of motivational interviewing (MI) with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) practice, borrowed from health psychological interventions for lifestyle-related chronic health conditions, holds promise for reducing the prevalence of FAS within Western Cape communities. These individual-based approaches have yet to be employed in South Africa despite the wealth of evidence that demonstrates their potential in targeting high-risk groups and reducing per capita alcohol consumption.

Cultural misconceptions and traditional healing practices for sexual problems: a mental health perspective

The belief that semen loss is dangerous and harmful for sexual and physical health is widely prevalent and it dates back for hundreds of years. Faith healers, quacks and self-acclaimed sex specialists have been conducive in reinforcing these myths and sexual misconceptions. Faith healing effectively delays medical intervention as well as possibly precipitating other psychiatric complications. We report a case of an adolescent in whom traditional healing practices were traumatizing and precipitated obsessive compulsive disorder.

Cultural misconceptions and associated depression in Dhat syndrome

The Sri Lanka Journal of Psychiatry (SLJP) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal published bi annually by the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists.The Journal publishes original papers, brief reports including case reports and commentaries relevant to psychiatry and allied sciences. The Sri Lanka Journal of Psychiatry is committed to maintaining and conforming to the editorial and ethical standards recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.Cover: Doorways: When one is ill, having somewhere to stay, where one is looked after, is usually a relief to the patient who is not well and his/her family. The picture shows the doorway to what remains of an ancient hospital in Mihintale, said to date back two millennia. Thilini Rajapakse, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Errors in Translation: A Tool for Linguistic and Socio-cultural Competence

One of the important insights in recent translation studies research is that errors are a consequence of both linguistic and cultural misconceptions. In recent years translation studies have become increasingly involved in a quest for explanations of all phenomena associated with meaning interaction and a lot of detailed research has been attempted at most translation stages. Whole solid books have been written on specific topics but whole solid books can not include all the variations that different manifestations of language might adopt. As far as we understand, these theoretical ideas have not normally been applied to translations so far and when they have, explanations and descriptive interpretations given do sound rather artificial and unsatisfactory. We intend to propose an analytic approach to solve problems on translation based upon the principles of identity or equivalence, the main ideas of which might be suitable both for research and tuition purposes. In this paper, clear and cut distinctions between canonical and non-canonical expressions, collocations and idiomatic expressions are summed up succinctly both for language explanations and translation analyses, due to the fact that a good number of realizations belonging to the Gray Areas (GA) of language may arise from recurrent combinations of specific types of combined lexical items. The resultant lack of interaction between L1 propositions and L2 representations, identical or not, is often explainable and clarified by the Error Analysis (EA) method. Data collected and analysed here have been chosen at random.

Errors in Translation: A Tool for Linguistic and Socio-cultural Competence

One of the important insights in recent translation studies research is that errors are a consequence of both linguistic and cultural misconceptions. In recent years translation studies have become increasingly involved in a quest for explanations of all phenomena associated with meaning interaction and a lot of detailed research has been attempted at most translation stages. Whole solid books have been written on specific topics but whole solid books can not include all the variations that different manifestations of language might adopt. As far as we understand, these theoretical ideas have not normally been applied to translations so far and when they have, explanations and descriptive interpretations given do sound rather artificial and unsatisfactory. We intend to propose an analytic approach to solve problems on translation based upon the principles of identity or equivalence, the main ideas of which might be suitable both for research and tuition purposes. In this paper, clear and cut distinctions between canonical and non-canonical expressions, collocations and idiomatic expressions are summed up succinctly both for language explanations and translation analyses, due to the fact that a good number of realizations belonging to the Gray Areas (GA) of language may arise from recurrent combinations of specific types of combined lexical items. The resultant lack of interaction between L1 propositions and L2 representations, identical or not, is often explainable and clarified by the Error Analysis (EA) method. Data collected and analysed here have been chosen at random.

Immigrant narratives: orientalism and cultural translation in Arab American and Arab British literature

Arab immigrants began to arrive in the United States in the late-nineteenth century and in Britain after World War Two. Those immigrants have produced a vast literature that remains relatively unknown outside of specialist circles. Like other ethnic literatures, Arab-American and Arab-British writing treats a variety of themes such as the immigrant experience, the lives of minorities, cultural misconceptions, and stereotypes. In addition to that, Arab immigrant writing also reveals unique perspectives on complex issues that continue to shape our world today, such as inter-faith relations, the tangled politics of the Middle East, the role played first by the British empire then by the United States in the region, the representations of Arabs and Arab culture in British and American societies, and the status of Muslim minorities there. Although those issues have acquired an unprecedented urgency in the post-9/11 period, they have preoccupied Arab-American and Arab-British writers since the early days of the twentieth century. While this book is not a comprehensive literary history, it offers a critical reading of that tradition from its inception to the present. Drawing upon postcolonial, translation, and minority discourse theory, Immigrant Narratives investigates how key novelists and autobiographers have described their immigrant experiences, and in so doing acted as mediators and interpreters between cultures, and how they have forged new identities in their adopted countries.

Cultural Competencies: Essential Elements of Caring-Centered Multicultural Education

Caring-centered multicultural education is a framework in the field of education with the major goal of providing all students with equitable education and to address the achievement gap between mainstream and culturally diverse students. Within this orientation, culture is seen as a core component of effective teaching. Therefore, cultural competencies must be foundational in teacher preparation and professional development. Cultural competencies for K–12 educators must include reviewing biases and cultural misconceptions, implementation of English language development strategies, teaching of high-level discipline content, and guiding students in decision making and critical thinking skills.

Evaluation of Factors Influencing Medication Adherence in Patients with Epilepsy in Rural Communities of Kaduna State, Nigeria

Background and Objective: Adherence to medication is the backbone to effectiveness of a therapy. In the absence of a definitive curative therapy, antiepileptic therapy is a key intervention aimed at prolonging and improving the quality of life of patients with epilepsy (PWE) who suffer from a disease known for its stigmatization with many cultural misconceptions. The aim of the study is to assess the level of, and factors influencing adherence to antiepileptic therapy among patients in rural communities attending the outpatient clinics in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria and Jicon Hospital, Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. Materials and Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Interviewer-administered, structured questionnaires were administered to a sample of 272 PWE attending Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital/Jicon Hospital Kaduna, who had been on antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) for at least one year. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select the patients. Information was obtained on their knowledge of epilepsy and adherence to antiepileptic therapy regimen as well as factors influencing adherence to AED regimen. Results: The level of knowledge of epilepsy based on signs and symptoms was high as 57.8% and 25.9% of the PWE had excellent and good knowledge respectively. Also, most of the PWE (78.6%) had adequate knowledge of antiepileptic therapy, however only 32.6% of the patients were adherent to treatment. There was a significant association between knowledge of AED therapy and adherence to therapy (p = 0.00385) but there was no association between age (p = 0.067), sex (p = 0.182) educational status (p = 0.688), income (p = 0.519) religion (p = 0.69), place of residence (p = 0.157) with AED adherence. The reasons for non-adherence included forgetfulness, drug-induced fatigue and being away from home. Conclusion: This study showed that patients with epilepsy had adequate knowledge of epilepsy and its treatment. Medication adherence was demonstrated to be low due to forgetfulness, fatigue and being away from home. We therefore recommend adherence counseling in the clinic and health educational interventions to improve adherence in our rural communities. Further exploration of the relationship between clinical outcomes and other non-drug self-management strategies is needed.

If both opponents “extend hands in peace” — Why don’t they meet?

This article offers a preliminary and partial mapping of some cultural misconceptions inherent in the Israeli peace discourse. It focuses on one of the central mythic metaphors belonging to this discourse: “We extend our hand in peace.” First articulated in “The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel” (1948). After more than six decades of endless repetition in speeches made by Israeli political leaders, the metaphor has become a fertile arena for learning about Israel’s cultural codes and cultural heritage relating to peace: While expressing the sincere will to make peace, use of the metaphor simultaneously demonstrates moral superiority, feelings of deprivation, latent threat, and recognition of its efficiency for creating a positive image abroad. A discursive analysis of the metaphor reveals four barriers to the effective continuation of a peace process: Images of the Arab opponent, Israel’s self-image, relationships between opponents in addition to the opponents’ readiness to achieve peace.