...1 An Analysis of African American Culture in the Health and Human Services Setting Introduction Communication has often been defined by scholar as the process by which people send messages and generate meanings across various contexts, cultures, and media. The process of communicating does not stop; it occurs cycle after cycle. Whether through verbal or non-verbal messages, the transaction takes place and is inevitable, named by scholars as The Principle of Communication Inevitability. Recognizing that communication will exist, whether intentional or not, it is important to understand the various areas of our life where communication may be vital to the success of the structure. One important area is focused on human welfare—medical, physical, emotionally, mentally, and financially—of children and adults. The method in which health and human service workers communicate with the people whom they serve is one that must be studied, implemented, and constantly improved. Health and human service workers are focused on the quality of life for an individual. They are not present to meet the wants out of life. The ultimate focus is rendering services that are conducive to one’s ability to live. Whether communicating good or bad news, professionals, patients, and clients have mutual responsibility for effective sending and receiving messages. People belong to certain demographics that shape who they are, how they feel, how they learn, their exposure to certain aspects of life...
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...African American Christianity Carol C. Ballon Dr. Tom McCloskey Religion in America April 7, 2015 African American Christianity African-American Christianity is a Christian church that minister to primarily African-Americans. Throughout this paper I will share my experience and how I see it through my eyes. I will compare and contrast African-American Christianity verse Christianity. I also will give reason to why we need African-American churches. African-American Christianity started during slavery. This was an outlet for slaves, it was hope, and it was the only faith they had to hold onto. I suspect, that slave owners look at this as a threat. African-Americans gathered together for any cause was frowned upon. This could mean power and a means of escaping. They didn’t even want African-Americans to read, let alone carry around a bible. So from the beginning African-American Christianity was not accepted by slave owners. Throughout the many decades of slavery, religion among African-Americans was a fear for slave owners. For slave owners, African-American religious meetings symbolized the ultimate threat to slavery. Once established African-Americans relied heavily on their belief system. Religion offered an outlet for African-Americans, helped strengthen their belief in God and it was a safe haven. Keep in mind, slave owners was not always willing to accept the involvement of slaves in Christianity. As of today numerous African-American churches exist and are...
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...African American Health Care Analysis Cheryl Robinson Capella University CST5500 Multi-Cultural Issues in Health Care Crobinson82@capellauniversity.edu Dr. C Vaugh Abstract It is a cliché of health education that programs and interventions will be more effective when they are culturally appropriate for the populations they serve. In practice, however, the strategies used to achieve cultural appropriateness vary widely. This paper briefly describes African American history and how it relates to health care services. It explains the culture, value and belief of African American when it involves health promotion and disease prevention. Some major health concerns and barriers are noted within the black communities and population as well as way to promote health and disease prevention throughout the African American communities. History of African American population African Americans first arrived to the United States as a crew on a pirate ship in the year 1619. The American population saw these new immigrants as an opportunity and captured many of the six million African immigrants and sold them as slaves (Bennett, 1992 as cited in Edelman & Mandle, 2002). The African American community suffered through a history of slavery and discrimination which has led to their current health and wellness problems. Many of their current problems have been linked to the segregation and cruel treatment that they were subjected to in the past, but African Americans have...
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...developed countries like Japan and the United States of America (79 Years). Furthermore, a healthy nation has a chance to reap the benefits of active and rejuvenated workforce that facilitate her progress. The government has a role to ensure that her citizens meet basic health requirements through the provision of essential services to the public. This paper will discuss health situation among the African Americans for comparison and contrast to the national averages. Current Health Status of African Americans Gee (2012) noted that the African Americans have a substandard health status compared to the national average. For instance, this racial group had the highest death rates in 2009 according to the reports of the Center for Disease Control of the United States of America. The deaths occur following severe heart disease and stroke among this race. Moreover, the adults above 65 years in this race had the highest prevalence of hypertension thus surpassing the average records for the CDC. These health risks and diseases make health status of the African Americans poorer than their counterparts from other races in the USA. How African Americans Define Health Promotion The race defines health promotion as an involvement of programs that are community-based with the view to foster participation in health practices. For instance, there is a need for...
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...Running head: TARGETING BREAST CANCER AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..3 Background…………………………………………..……………………………………………4 Preparing and Adapting to the Field..……………………………………………………………..5 Medical Anthropology Fieldwork Methodology...………………………………………………..6 Ethnographic Fieldwork Data Analysis …………………………………………………………..9 Reflective Comments/ Conclusion……………………………………………………….…….....9 References………………………………………………………………………………………..11 Targeting Breast Cancer among African American Women in Nash County: A Proposal to Identify Enabling and Reinforcing Factors of Seeking Preventative Screening Services Introduction Ethnographic field work is an excellent strategy in understanding and describing a cultural group. Field work is also an asset in performing a needs assessment in the planning phase of developing health promotion interventions. As described by Bailey (2002), “ethnographic techniques are integral tools for galvanizing and mobilizing communities for social action relative to generating a promotion and disease prevention agenda.” (Bailey, 2002) This paper serves as a proposal to conduct a medical anthropology field work project to assess reinforcing and enabling factors that promote the use of early detection and preventative breast cancer screening services among African American women. The study design consists of a qualitative ethnographic approach utilizing observation and focus group methodology....
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...Trust with Cultural Disparities ` The components that help doubt among our human services framework and treatment, focus on this population's; Africans American, regularly serve as a substitute for different variables, for example, financial states dialects capacity or society conduct that have a relationship or association with wellbeing status and social insurance. The doubt that African Americans, are finding in the human services framework they dreaded they will be utilized as a test for preventive administer to therapeutic examination. This social insurance framework is construct of a history that incorporate experimentation, sickle cell screening, family arranging automatic sanitization and investment of the therapeutic framework in the defense of prejudice and separation in the public eye. However accessible confirmation has been demonstrated however numerous decades that minorities existed destitution have lacking access to social insurance and got insufficient health awareness and experience unsuitable result. This populace don't think they will got skillful direction to nature of forethought,. So they are not incite to look for health awareness nor dealt with their wellbeing. African American is now off guard by being of color, and having shorter life expectances than white, on the grounds that, white American is offer, better human services and quality forethought. Africa American is more probable than white not to trust their specialists. Hence that clarifies the...
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...Social Work Research on African Americans and Suicidal Behavior: A Systematic 25-Year Review Sean foe and Danielle M. Niedermeier Suicide among African Americans is a neglected topic. Social workers practice in both clinical and nonchnical settings, and as the largest occupational group of mental health professionals, they have a unique opportunity to reach this underserved group. However, little is known about social work's empirical knowledge base for recognition and treatment of suicidal behavior among African Americans.The authors performed a systematic critical review of published articles by social workers on African American suicide and suicidal behavior, to ascertain the state of social worker's contribution to and knowledge of suicide risk factors and effective treatments. They conducted Web-based (for example. Social Work Abstracts, PsycINFO, PubMed,JSTOR) and manual searches of suicide research conducted by social work investigators and pubhshed in peer-reviewed journals from 1980 to 2005. References cited in the articles were used to identify candidate articles. According to the search results, social workers contributed only 11 empirical research articles focusing on African American suicide or nonfatal suicidal behavior. Risk factors for suicide are reviewed, and the implications for clinical social work practice and research are addressed. KEY WORDS: African Americans; clinical knowledge; ethnic minority populations; suicide S uicide is one of the leading...
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...Running head: MENTAL HEALTH: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE Running head: MENTAL HEALTH: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE 2 African Americans living in urban, low-income, impoverished environments are at high risk for exposure to traumatic events, and have a potential prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to previous and repeated trauma exposure. African-Americans living in urban, low income communities with continuous exposure to community violence and previous personal trauma exposure, may have a higher prevalence of PTSD and other mental health disorders. As a result, living in these environments could increase the likelihood of poor social and developmental outcomes, including but not limited to increased anxiety, aggression, depression, and social withdrawal. There are numerous factors that contribute to this hypothesis: African Americans were six times more likely than Whites to be murdered or victimized (Fox & Zawitz, 2002). These include low socioeconomic status, trauma exposure, lack of cultural competency, lack of diversity in the mental health-care work force; the fragmentation of mental health services to include a mix of disparities in private plans’ coverage of mental health services, public insurance and safety net programs, federal laws, and financial barriers. Lack of trust for physicians and health care providers; exposure to urban stressors such as poverty, racism, and violence can also be barriers...
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...in Society. Mio, J., Barker, L., & Tumambing, J. (2011). Multicultural Psychology. Javaid, S., Barker, N. C., Shahid, A., Jabeen, S., & Bailey, R. K. (2009). Disparities in Health Care among African Americans. Challenge, 15(2), 19-27. Samovar, L., Porter, R., McDaniel, E., & Roy, C. (2014). Intercultural communication: A reader. Cengage Learning. Wallace, S. P. (2003). Equitable Health Systems: Cultural and Structural Issues for Latino Elders. American Journal Of Law & Medicine, 29247 Verbal and Non-verbal communication * Two forms of communication are Verbal and Non-verbal communication * 3 Types of verbal communication: oral, written, & visual. * Oral communication- information is sent verbally or orally by word of mouth * Written communication- communication is written via pencil, pen, markers, and typed words * 6 Forms of Oral communication: face to face, verbal /oral conversations, telephone, viral through video, radio, and television. References Alberts, J.K., Martin, J.N. & Nakayama, T.K. (2013) Human Communication in Society. Mio, J., Barker, L., & Tumambing, J. (2011). Multicultural Psychology. Javaid, S., Barker, N. C., Shahid, A., Jabeen, S., & Bailey, R. K. (2009). Disparities in Health Care among African Americans. Challenge, 15(2),...
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...INTRODUCTION African Americans including those of more than one race constitute 15.2% of the U.S population. (CDC, 2011) The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) conducted in 2012 reports that white (38%) and Asians (37%) are more likely to be in excellent health than African Americans (31%). (NHIS) 14.6% of blacks of all ages reported of poor or fair health which is higher than the general population.37.9% of African American men and 57.6% of women above the age of 20 are obese.39.9% of men and 44.5% of women above 20 of African American origin have hypertension.17.8% of African American people under 65 does not have health insurance.(CDC,2011) Leading causes of death among African Americans are heart disease, cancer and stroke. Obesity and diabetes are twice as prevalent among Africans compared to white adults. They have the largest death rates from homicides compared to any racial or ethnic population.(CDC,2011) African Americans also have the highest incidence and death rates from colorectal cancer and HIV infection rates. Prescribed HIV treatment among African Americans living with HIV is also less compared to white adults.(CDC,2011) A larger percent of African American adults live in poverty and does not have a high school education compared to the general population. All of this data points toward poor health status among African Americans. Studies have shown that African Americans underutilize preventive...
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...Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination," declares the first time, to quickly eliminate all racial discrimination in the world. November 30, 1973, by the United Nations' International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, "once again clearly announced that those who commit acts of apartheid organizations, institutions or individuals, that is a crime, bear international crimes (“International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination” Introduction) Following paragraphs would explore those racial issues from the WW II period, especially for Africans; address the root of racial issues; discover what people have done from both sides in order to eliminate racial issues and achieve freedom, equality and fraternity? During the World War II on December 7, 1941, serviceman Dorie Miller, an African Americans dragged his commanding officer to safety and bereft of any formal combat training, manned a machine gun, shooting down several Japanese planes. And then “Miller was awarded the Navy Cross...
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...Disparities 39 © 2007 University of Pittsburgh Section 4. Economic Disparities HomeownersHip Homeownership is an essential part of the “American Dream”. Homeownership provides many benefits to families, children, and communities. These benefits include wealth building, tax reductions, a source of equity for education and other major expenses, a stable residential population, and greater neighborhood safety. Although the number of minorities owning homes has increased over the years, the nation is still far from achieving racial parity in homeownership. Figure 4.1. Homeownership Rates by Race and Ethnicity, 2000 100 80 60 Percent 72 75 73 60 39 34 25 20 16 43 40 38 50 36 53 46 46 40 0 Pittsburgh City Allegheny County White Source: Appendix 4.1 Pittsburgh MSA Asian Hispanic United States African American • Homeownership is lower in the city of Pittsburgh than in the other geographic areas for all of the racial and ethnic groups. • Whites are significantly more likely than African Americans, Asians, or Hispanics to own their homes across all of the geographic areas. • In the Pittsburgh region, Asians have the lowest homeownership rates in the city, county, and the Pittsburgh MSA. Only in the U.S. does the percentage of Asians owning homes exceed that of African Americans and Hispanics. Pittsburgh’s Racial Demographics: Differences And Disparities...
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...Black/African Americans and Health Care Paula Elizondo Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V November 23, 2014 Black/African Americans and Health Care Americans live in a country that is considered a melting pot of many different ethnic groups and cultures. In fact, the U.S. Census of 2010 reported that 36.3% of the population belongs to a racial or ethnic minority group (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). In spite of national goals to improve health care, including the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014), many Americans are still finding it difficult and challenging to maintain good health and having their health care needs addressed. For many Americans, race is a huge issue in healthcare today. Minority and ethnic groups are especially susceptible to race related health issues. One such group with a deep seeded history in the United States is Black or African Americans. Black/African Americans are the second largest minority group in the United States (Edelman, Kudzma, & Mandle, 2014). Because of the history involving slavery and segregation, Black/African Americans still have to deal with inequalities in many aspects of their lives such as health care, regardless of changes over the last 60 years (Edelman, Kudzma, & Mandle, 2014). The health status, barriers to health, and health disparities of Black/African Americans demonstrate a need for improvement in equality and the resources...
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...Child Abuse and Neglect 29 30 Dimensions and Critical Issues of Child Maltreatment in the African American Community: Causation, Consequences, and Prospects Presenter: Respondent: Joyce N. Thomas, R.N., M.P.H. Robert Pierce, Ph.D. Introduction African Americans, the largest minority population in the United States, suffer disproportionately from preventable diseases and deaths—(Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, 1994). This statement from the Office of Minority Health not only captures the tragic problem of health related issues of African Americans, it also applies to the social welfare problems of these children and their families. Each year over 2,000 children die at the hands of their parents or caretakers (U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, 1995). Abuse and neglect in the home are considered one of the leading causes of death for children four years of age and younger and the largest number of child abuse fatalities is due to severe head trauma. Homicide statistics are only part of the grim reality, with near–fatal abuse and neglect accounting for more than 18,000 permanently disabled children, and approximately 142,000 serious injuries (Baladerian, 1991). Findings from the report, A Nation’s Shame: Fatal Child Abuse and Neglect in the United States, indicate that African Americans are overrepresented in both fatalities and near–fatal injuries (U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, 1995). Research shows that...
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...received regardless of skin color. However, they did not face as many hindrances as African-American leaders such as Powell, Flipper, and McKinney. The accomplishments of these men paved the way for future African-Americans to flourish. These men along with the Buffalo Soldiers and Tuskegee Airmen provided heroes for young African-Americans to admire and thrive to be like. Thrive to break barriers, prove wrong unwarranted doubt, and change the perception of a racially entrenched America. They were the beginning, some of the firsts, and they initiated the way for a new way of thinking. They started the healing in a deeply seeded illness. An illness called hate. It is an outstandingly hard illness to cure; however, not one of impossibilities. These valiant African-American leaders set underway a cure for a race, a nation, and a dream. African American Servicemen Contributions to Military History The United States Armed Forces has been one of great failures and great successes. One of its greatest failures was the inability to recognize at the time the contributions made by African-Americans as well as their ability for greatness like so many Caucasian Servicemen. Caucasian Servicemen such as General George S. Patton, General George A. Custer, and SGT Alvin York all contributed invaluably to the military including all of their prodigious accomplishments. African-American Servicemen have had as many accomplishments as Caucasian Servicemen, and they achieved...
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