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Select a culture/ethnic group and describe their unique characteristics. Include their heritage and residency, educational status and occupations, dominant languages and dialects, communication patterns, family roles and gender roles, and prescriptive, restrictive and taboo behaviors for children and adolescents.
Answer:
African Americans also quoted as Black Americans or Afro-Americans are an ethnic group of Americans with full or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. The ethnic group constitutes the third largest racial and ethnic group in the United States (Perez & Hirschman, 2009). Most African Americans are of West and Central African descent and are descendants of enslaved blacks within the boundaries of the present United States. The ethnic group is a high-poverty group with about 75 percent of students is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Certain people are less likely to graduate from high school and subsequently attend college at rates lower than any other racial group. About 18 million Blacks were employed or looking for work, representing 61.4 % of all African Americans. They are employed in the public sector comprising of state, local, or federal government. Blacks prefer to work in a diverse range of industries, including financial activities, professional and business services, and education and health services. African Americans are relatively proficient in African American Vernacular English; possess art, agricultural skills, cuisine, clothing styles, and music, social and technological innovation to American culture. Both adults and children show tobacco smoking behavior. Approximately 45,000 African Americans die from smoking-related disease. The communication pattern is collaborative, controlling, informing, obliging, or withdrawing. However, there exists a gender related variations with respect to pattern. Male individuals were more likely to use controlling acts in comparison to female
Describe any disease and health conditions related to their ethnicity. For example in the Amish community, dwarfism is common .
Answer:
Sickle Cell Anemia is the most common hereditary blood disorder occur in African Americans
The disease is characterized by deformation and hardening of red blood cells and interferes with the loading of oxygen. Eventually it leads to organ damage. People with Sickle Cell Anemia experience episodes of sickle cell “crisis” lasting several days. Crises are characterized by acute pain in the arms or legs, chest, abdomen, or joints. Factors that can precipitate a crisis include physical strain, dehydration, high altitude, and illness. There is no cure, but transfusions can ease crisis. Sickle Cell Anemia is most prevalent in people in African American community. An estimated 1 in 11 African Americans is a carrier. Carriers are said to have a sickle cell “trait” and may suffer from mild anemia (Sickle Cell Anemia, 2010).
Describe the dietary practices within the culture/ethnic group. Include common foods and any food rituals.
Answer:
‘Soul food’ is the term used for African-American cooking. The diet consists of collard greens, leafy green and yellow vegetables, legumes, beans, rice and potatoes. The diet also consists of low amount of fiber, calcium and potassium, and high in fat. The community also prefers fresh fruits, lean meat and seafood (Ewing, 2015). Common ways for African-Americans to prepare food include frying, barbecuing and serving foods with gravies and sauces. Home-baked cakes and pies are also common.
Describe the health care practices within the culture/ethnic group. Include fertility practices, views towards pregnancy, health seeking beliefs and behaviors, folk and traditional practices, and barriers to healthcare.
Answer:
The health care practices in African American for fertility are based on recommendations from nurses and childbirth educators. The practices include, self-awareness of attitudes toward African Americans; empowering of clients for birthing; recognition of the role that pregnant women’s mothers play and tailoring of childbirth classes for African American women (Abbyad & Robertson, 2011). African Americans show religious beliefs and behaviors for the diagnosis and management of illness as most of them are belonging to Christians, Hebraic and Jewish. Blackish people do possess certain traditional and folk medicines for constipation (laxatives, cod liver oil, castor oil, and senna) and healing utilizing rootworkers (Quandt, Sandberg, Grzywacz, Altizer & Arcury, 2015).The barriers include the access, agency issues and socioeconomic issues. Individual barriers included lack of knowledge of where to seek health services, embarrassment about illness, negative cultural perception, discriminative actions toward people with illness, and lack of awareness.
Describe any death rituals and expectations.
Answer:
The death traditions, customs, procedures, mourning practices, burial rites of the African American differ greatly from that of non-African Americans. The events include notifying the immediate family members, every relative and friend. The death victim cannot be buried on a rainy day. The sun is-a sign that the heavens are open and welcoming for the deceased one. There is usually a five to seven day mourning period before the actual funeral. Before the funeral takes place there is generally a ceremony known as a wake (Kate, 2013). Many wakes take place at the funeral parlor at the church or the home of the deceased to share the memories of the deceased. The hurse leads cars of the deceased by immediate family members. It is believed that it is important that the dead be buried feet facing east; to allow rising at Judgment Day. Otherwise, the person remains in the crossways of the world. Coins are placed on the eyes, hands of the dead to keep them closed.
Perez, AD., & Hirschman, C (2009) The Changing racial and ethnic composition of the US Population: Emerging American identities. Population and Development Review, 35(1), 1–51.
Sickle Cell Anemia (2010) Retrieved from http://www.geneticdiseasefoundation.org/genetic-diseases/sickle-cell-anemia/
Abbyad, C & Robertson, TR (2011) African American women’s preparation for childbirth from the perspective of African American health-care providers. The Journal of Perinatal Education, 20(1), 45–53. http://doi.org/10.1891/1058-1243.20.1.45
Quandt, SA., Sandberg, JC., Grzywacz, JG., Altizer, KP & Arcury, TA (2015) Home remedy use among African American and white older adults. Journal of the National Medical Association, 107(2), 121–129.
Kate, TM (2013) Death is not the end: Fascinating funeral traditions from around the globe Retrieved from http://ideas.ted.com/11-fascinating-funeral-traditions-from-around-the-globe/
USDL (29-Feb-2012), The African-American labor force in the recovery Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/_sec/media/reports/blacklaborforce/
Ewing, J (26-Feb-2015) Cultural Diversity: Eating in America-African-American. Retrieved from http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-5250