Culture Assessment

It is quite evident that cultural background is playing a significant role in majority of the

ethnicities since it is considered as the foundation of many families. For this reason, conducting a

cultural assessment is really necessary in every field, especially in the field of nursing wherein

nurses study and analyze different cultures in order to better understand both the similarities and

differences within different groups of patients with diverse cultures. Cultural assessment includes

the process of reviewing the different components of culture such as traditions, environment,

social relations, values, and incentives. Burke (2019) defines culture as the set of established

unique beliefs and behaviors that are conducted or practiced by a specific group of individuals

that have been passed from generation to generation. The United States of America is composed

of a diverse group of people which make it challenging and difficult to understand every ethnic,

religious, and racial group. For this reason, the nation is considered as one of the most culturally

diverse countries in the world. In line with this, it is vital to have a general awareness and

understanding regarding different culture in the community.

One of the ethnic groups located in the United States of America is the Asian-American.

They are the Americans from Asian ancestry that has originated in South Asia, East Asia, or

Southeast Asia. According to Kiang (n.d.), Asian-American represents an estimated of more than

30 nationalities and ethnic groups such as Tongan, Samoan, Thai, Cambodian, Malay, Burmese,

Filipinos, and much more. For this reason, the diversity of Asian Americans in regards to

different languages, histories, and cultures is quite remarkable. As mentioned above, Asian

American is divided into sub-ethnic groups in which Indians is included. The culture of India is

considered as one of the oldest civilization in the world since it started more or less 4,500 years

ago. According to Zimmermann (2017), India’s culture is described by different scholars as to

culture in the world. With that being said, it seems that the culture of India can be really a

diverse one. The culture has a lot to offer from its music to arts to foods to architectures to

language to clothing to customs and celebrations up to its religion. Majority of the country’s

practices and beliefs are extremely unique and embraced fully by the Indian people.

Today, the country of India is really diverse with more than 1.2 billion people in it. It is

also evident that different regions within India have their specific and distinct cultures. The

history and culture of India are quite dynamic since the beginning of human civilization. Basham

(1975) argues that the civilization in India starts with a mysterious culture practiced along the

farming communities in the southern regions of India and the Indus River. In addition, the

country entails an economic history for thousands of years. In fact, ancient India used to be a rich

and economic country until different conquerors pillaged it for hundreds of years. After

acquiring its independence, the country’s economy gradually getting back to its roots in which

the government, as well as the people, focused on different aspects to make the country even

better. They focused on the country’s agricultural industry, national policies, and foreign

relations.

According to Trines (2018), in ancient India, individuals who wanted to receive

education are obliged to go to the house of a teacher and make a request to accept them and teach

them.The education than did not only taught subject matters such as Math, Science, Scriptures,

and other things but also taught practicality like how the houses are run and how to manage a

family. India’s school system has four levels including lower primary, upper primary, high

secondary, and higher secondary. Furthermore, every Indian student has to learn three different

languages such as Hindi, English, and their mother tongue. Throughout the years, the educational
system in the nation has evolved greatly which provides more opportunities for the people to

become much better. Today, India’s educational system aims to provide high-quality education

as best as they can. The government considered its education as the “key catalyst for promoting

socio-economic mobility in building an equitable and just society” (2018). Also, women did not

have much if any authority in its ancient times. Men were in charge of the majority of the

households and women had to follow and do what the men said. Furthermore, women were not

allowed to receive education and not allowed to work.Today, women in Indian seem to be

acquiring more equity.

India has seven territories and 28 states. There is no specific official language in the

country, though the Hindi language is considered as the official language of the Indian

government. The country’s constitution officially recognizes 23 official languages. Zimmermann

(2017) points out that it is a misconception that almost all of the people in India speak in Hindi

since almost 60 percent of the country’s entire population speak something other than Hindi.

Some of the other languages spoken throughout the country are Telugu, Tamil, Urdu, Bengali,

and Marathi. On the other hand, India is also considered as the birthplace for some major

religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. In fact, religion comes before education in India. It is

evident that there are different variations of Hinduism across the country, as well as its four

predominant sectors including Vaishnava, Shakteya, Shaiva, and Smarta. Scroope (2018) states

that the religion in India greatly affects the everyday lives of the people, as well as their social

interactions among other people. In support, one of the most common religious practice in the

Indian family is the daily visitation to temples and performing rituals at home. Also, it is evident

that Indian family celebrates big holidays.

utilization of spices and herbs since it is influenced by many other countries. Also, the cooking

styles of Indian people vary from one region to another. The most important staples in the Indian

culture are the Basmati rice, wheat, and pulses with chana. Their foods are quite rich with spices

and curries such as ginger, cardamom, dried hot pepper, and cinnamon. Furthermore, there are

many Indians, approximately 20 to 40 percent, who are vegetarian. For non-vegetarian, lamb and

chicken are common in their main dishes. Lastly, most of the times, Indian people consume their

foods with their fingers or bread as utensils (Zimmermann, 2017).

Every serious thing aside, India is quite prominent regarding its popular culture. It is

evident that traditions are a huge part of the culture and there are many things that Indian’s

embrace day after day. From fashion to art to music, Indians incorporate these traditions into

their daily lives. Diwali is considered as India’s most important and largest holiday. It is a five-

day celebration known as the festivity for lights since it symbolizes the inner light that protects

every Indian from their spiritual darkness. Other festivals in the nation are Holi, Republic Day,

Mahatma Gandhi’s day, and Independence Day. During these festivals, there is traditional music,

dances, food, etc. Family and friends come together and celebrate these festivals collectively and

enjoy the vibes.

In regards to the Indian’s clothing, it is best characterized by colorful silk saris worn by

the majority of the women across the nation. On the one hand, dhoti is the traditional piece of

clothing for men which is unstitched piece of cloth that is tied in men’s legs and waist. Also, men

wear a loose shirt known as kurta. For special occasions, men wear a sherwani or achkan, which

is characterized as a long coat with a collar having no lapel. It is usually buttoned up to the collar

down to the knees. In line with the aforementioned information, healthcare professionals will
always encounter situations wherein they cannot control much of the situation. For this reason,

being aware of possible potential conflicts between cultures is extremely important.

References

Basham, A. (1975). A cultural history of India. Oxford University Press.

Burke, A. (2019). Cultural Awareness and Influences on Health: NCLEX-RN. Retrieved from

https://www.registerednursing.org/nclex/cultural-awareness-influences-health/

Kiang, P. (n.d.). Understanding Our Perceptions of Asian Americans. Retrieved from

https://asiasociety.org/education/understanding-our-perceptions-asian-americans

Scroope, C. (2018). Indian Culture - Religion. Retrieved from

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/indian-culture/indian-culture-religion#indian-culture-

religion

Trines, S. (2018). Education in India. Retrieved from https://wenr.wes.org/2018/09/education-in-

india

Zimmermann, K. (2017). Indian Culture: Traditions and Customs of India. Retrieved from

https://www.livescience.com/28634-indian-culture.html