Sociocultural Transition Research Articles

Emergency department utilization by two subcultures in the same geographical region

An exploratory study of emergency department (ED) utilization, comparing Israeli adult Jews and Bedouin Arabs was conducted. The data interpretation derived from the premise that health services utilization reflects not only morbidity patterns but characteristics of both subcultures and the structure of health services. The Bedouins in the study are a Moslem traditional society going through a rapid process of urbanization and modernization, with a relative deficiency in primary health services. Data were collected from the general ED admissions registry. Patients (17 +) who arrived at the ED during the first week of every even month of one calendar year were selected for this study (6815 Jews and 583 Bedouins). The findings indicate that, in general Bedouins use the ED significantly less than Jews. They adjust to the structure of the ED services and use them, more than Jews, as a primary service. Yet, the hospitalization rates of the two populations are similar. In both subcultures the pattern of gender differences changes after the age of 45. The change, however, is in the opposite direction. Differences in ED usage among Bedouin age-sex groups are discussed in terms of changes in social status during a period of socio-cultural transition.

Family Characteristics of Indian Parasuicide Patients: A Controlled Study

In this article a controlled study of the family structure of a South African Indian parasuicide population is described. Twenty subjects from a local general hospital were scored on the Suicidal Intent Scale (SIS) and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). Twenty matched medical patients without a history of parasuicide were selected from the same hospital as a control group. They were matched for age, sex, educational standard, ethnic group and socio-economic status. All subjects were scored on the Family Assessment Device (FAD). Subjects from both groups were re-tested between six to eight weeks after the initial assessment. Analyses of variance indicated significant differences between the two groups on indicators of family interactional pathology. This seems to be compounded by family stresses emanating from socio-cultural transition. The results of the study support the view that family therapy should be implemented in the treatment of parasuicide. The unique population under study provides cross-cultural data relevant to parasuicide research and invites possibilities for further investigation.

Women in treatment: beyond the stereotype.

A sample of 1776 adult women in treatment for chemical dependency was divided into two age groups: 30 or under and over 30. The two groups were compared for substance use histories and other psychosocial variables. Significant differences emerged in the use of illicit drugs, social use patterns and familial histories. Findings suggest that differences may be related to generational as well as age effects. The study highlights the heterogeneity of women in treatment and emphasizes the need to assess and respond to women's chemical dependency in the context of sociocultural transitions.

Media, Migrants and Marginalization: The Situation in the Federal Republic of Germany

It has become evident that the media supply addressed to migrants is in respect to integration support poor in quantity and quality. As professional inefficiencies can be excluded the reasons have to be sought in the unwillingness of German officials to concede migrants not only full societal participation but an integrity also in cultural and communication terms. New media technologies like cable TV or Bildschirmtext are introduced in Germany these days offering yet other options for migrants too. It is now that a clearly designed communication policy in respect to migrants finally should be defined which recognizes their cultural identity and special communication needs in the context of lasting sociocultural transition process. (excerpt)

Genetic and sociocultural components of high blood pressure.

The cardiovascular diseases exert widely differing contributions to the total burden of mortality and morbidity in extant human populations. To a large extent these differences are a reflection of the variable distribution of specific antecedent risk factors. For one such risk factor, blood pressure, there is considerable variability in its distribution between different ethnic groups, especially between traditional and nontraditional societies. Intensive epidemiological studies in Western societies, together with a number of cross-cultural comparisons, suggest that the major determinants of high blood pressure are likely to be a constellation of sociocultural factors, with genetic determination being limited to the interaction between genotype and environment. Studies of populations in sociocultural transition offer an unique opportunity to identify the relative influence of specific sociocultural factors on the rate of change of blood pressure. In addition, when the study of such populations is placed in a quasi-experimental context, genetic-environmental interactions may also be detected. This strategy is illustrated by a study of the changing blood pressure distribution in Tokelauan migrants. Such an approach requires the initial definition of a response variable which measures change in blood pressure as a consequence of migration. The response variable, which identifies the relative influence of concomitants such as weight, age, and obesity, can then be subjected to genetic analysis. In the Tokelau case, blood pressure response tends to be positive in migrants but negative in nonmigrants. Further statistical analysis indicates that there is a small proportion of high responders in both populations and that these cluster in families in the migrant population. However, estimates of the transmission parameter suggest that sociocultural transmission, rather than Mendelian segregation, is responsible. To date there is little evidence that genetic-environmental interactions have had any impact on the development of hypertension in this migrant population.

A Comparison of Personnel Training Needs and Program Priorities for the Disabled in Ghana and Nigeria

Ghana and Nigeria are typical of many developing nations that find themselves in the throes of a sweeping socio-cultural transition. There are a number of similarities between these two West African nations. For example, both are former British colonies that have experienced a number of shifts between civilian and military rule.1 Both also present pictures of considerable ethnic diversity. Among the major groups in Ghana are the Akan, Ewe and Ga. The Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba are but a few of the many ethnic groups in Nigeria. Each of these groups is distinctive in language and culture. While English is the national language in both countries, the degree of fluency in English varies among groups and often is related to the level of formal education.2 As in many developing nations, there are considerable educational and economic disparities in both countries. Maximal change has occurred in the southern and, to a lesser degree, central areas of these nations. It is in these areas that the exchange economy is most developed, processes of urbanization are most advanced and

Acculturative Forces

Since the Yoruba of Nigeria have been subjected to influence by Moslem and Christian missionaries, and nationalist intellectuals, there has been monumental change in traditional culture. Practical and theoretical research findings on this aspect of sociocultural transition have revealed dramatic, colorful, inevitably painful social modifications with persistence and a continuous post hoc ergo propter hoc situational complex as shown in this monograph.