An Introduction to World Views and Conceptual Systems for Cultural Congruent Health Care

Two weeks ago in Westeville (KwaZulu-Natal), I presented a seminar on the topic above. The audience was for a psychology therapist intern who wants to specialize in trauma counselling. The topic "An Introduction to World Views and Conceptual Systems for Cultural Congruent Health Care" is a fancy way for saying that good health care should be culturally appropriate and to understand a culture one must have a basic understanding of the a priori assumptions the culture is based upon.

The seminar was divided into three theory sections and one demonstrative section. For the theory sections I focussed on World Views, Zeitgeists, and Individual vs Group Oriented Societies, each with appropriate examples.

Under World Views I looked at four main systems: Atheism, Theism (including monotheism and polytheism), Deism and Pantheism (Monism). I further highlighted how these World Views each extrapolate different moralities. I also showed how some systems represents the Western Scientific World View, while other systems better embodies a Supernatural / Magico-Religious World View, and how each system have different health care expectations.

The second section, regarding Zeitgeists, I divided into three categories: a Pre-Modern Zeitgeist with a Supernatural / Magico-Religious World View; a Modern Zeitgeist with an epistomological focus and Western Scientific World View; and Post-Modern Zeitgeist with a subjective, ontologically driven, and eclectic world view.

The last section concerned typical differences in Group Orientated Cultures versus Individual Oriented Cultures and the different health care expectations such cultures require.

Finally, through a series of quick personal questions ranging from age, gender, ethnic make-up, family background, religious practices, hobbies and recreational habbits, to favourite movies, dietary preference, and even political views, I quickly (and correctly) identified the person within the set paradigms and suggested how I would assist (i.e. approach counselling with) the person, in order to provide culturally congruent health care.

I'm happy to have received very positive feedback afterwards. It has also been a memorable part of my trip in South Africa so far.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4