113086451
Boise State University
The Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Assessment Model The Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Assessment Model was developed to help undergraduate nursing students care for patients from different cultures. The model is designed to bring attention to the fact that all individuals have a unique culture, and therefore unique needs and desires. The model is divided into six cultural attributes, or “phenomena”: communication, space, social organization, time, environmental control, and biological variations (Davidhizar & Giger, 2002). It may be easy for one to assume that …show more content…
Nonverbal communication includes body language, facial expressions, and physical touch.
Space
This cultural phenomenon concerns the physical space between two or more people while communication is happening. The amount of space can be small, as in an intimate meeting, or large, as in strangers speaking in public. An amount of space that one person finds professional might be an intimate amount of space for the person that they are trying to communicate with (Davidhizar & Giger, 2002).
Space also refers to a person’s “personal bubble”. People from different cultures, as well as different people within similar cultures, have varied ideas about how much space around them is considered personal. Unknowingly entering one’s personal area can be offensive and bar effective communication.
Social Organization The way families and societies are organized is the basis for social organization. Family structure can be paternal, maternal, or neither. The word “family” can refer to the nuclear family, which might be only two or three people, or the extended family, which could be dozens or hundreds of people. Family organization can also include role assignments, which can differ greater from culture to culture (Davidhizar & Giger, …show more content…
Genetic variations exist amongst different racial groups, and this fact can be very pertinent to healthcare. There is a higher prevalence of certain diseases amongst some racial groups, and some populations metabolize drugs differently than others.
Using the Model to Assess End of Life Concerns in the Jewish Culture
Communication in the Jewish Culture Jewish culture is expressive and truthful. According to Galanti (2008, p. 54), a study done in 1952 found that Jewish patients tended to be far more vocal with their pain and discomfort than others. Jews prefer to know the whole picture when it comes to their healthcare, even with a tragic prognosis. This will give people the opportunity to make appropriate plans (Dorff, 2005).
Space in the Jewish Culture People from different sects of Judaism may have different ideas on space. For example, some Orthodox Jews believe that any touching of people of the opposite sex is forbidden (Galanti, 2008 p. 47).
Social Organization in the Jewish