Cultural interview

NUR 302 Cultural Interview (2022)

Pew Research Center Studies

Cox, K. & Tamir, C. (2022, April 14). Race is central to identify for black Americans and affects how they connect with each other. Pew Research Center.

Horowitz, J. M., Brown, A., & Cox, K. (2019, April 9). 3. The role of race and ethnicity in Americans’ personal lives. Pew Research Center.

Ruiz, N. G., Shao, S., & Shah, S. (2022, August 2). What it means to be Asian in America. Pew Research Center.

Videos on Culture

Mosley, J. (2017, December 1).
Cultural humility. TEDx Talks.

Parks, F. (2015, March 16).
How culture connects to healing and recovery. TEDx Talks.

Culture by Country/Region of the World
LIVESCIENCE Online Articles on Various Cultures:

American Culture:

Indian Culture:

Mexican Culture:

Italian Culture:

Russian Culture:

German Culture:

Chinese Culture:

Roma Culture:

Shona People (South Africa):

Questions to Ask

There is one REQUIRED GROUP and 5 other groups of interview questions below. Ask the REQUIRED GROUP questions and then select at least 3 bullet points from each section to write your interview paper assignment. You’ll need 15 (bullet points) plus the REQUIRED questions as a minimum for this assignment. You may always ask more questions if your interviewee and yourself has the time to go into more detail.

Locating a Person Interview: Seek out a person from a culture different from your own. Ask friends, coworkers, neighbors for a good subject to interview. Selecting an immigrant or a first generation American may yield a more interesting interview. Older adults carry more cultural information and so make excellent interviewees!

Plan The Interview in Advance: Before beginning the interview, plan out your questions, take a notepad with you to record the interviewee’s answers, always be thinking what else can you ask?

Before beginning the interview, consider the following questions and then seek out the answers by asking the open-ended questions.

· What does the client think about the nature of the illness or injury? What does the client believe to be its cause?

· How does the client usually deal with illness or injury? What are the client’s expectations about treatment? How can others help?

· What support systems are available to the client? Is support from family, community, or ethnic groups available to the client during and after treatment?

· Does the client need assistance contacting these individuals?

Examples of
Open-Ended Questions for a Cultural Assessment

REQUIRED GROUP: Cultural Affiliation

I am interested in learning about your cultural heritage. Can you tell me about your cultural group, where you were born, and how long you have lived in this country?

Group 1: Beliefs About Current Illness

· What do you call your problem? What name do you give it? What are the chief problems your sickness has caused for you personally, for your family, and at work?

· What do you think has caused it? Why did it start when it did?

· What does your sickness do to your body? How severe is it?

· What do you fear most about your sickness?

Group 2: Healthcare Practices

· What kinds of activities or other things do you do to maintain health? For example, what types of food do you eat to maintain health?

· What foods do you eat during illness, and how is food prepared?

· What other activities do you or your family do to keep people healthy (e.g., wearing amulets, religious or spiritual practices)?

· How do you know when you are healthy?

Group 3: Illness Beliefs and Care Practices

· How would you describe your past experiences with cultural healers and Western health professionals?

· What kinds of things do you do to treat illnesses? Do you use traditional healers (shaman, curandero, sabador, priest/priestess, espiritualista, herbalist, acupuncturist, Reiki)?

· What remedies are you currently using (e.g., herbal remedies, foods, potions, massage, wearing of talismans, copper bracelets, acupuncture, or charms)?

· What remedies have you used in the past, and which did you find helpful? What remedies or treatments are you considering now, and how can we help?

Group 4: Family Life and Support System

· Who are the members of your family? What family duties do women and men usually perform in your culture? Who determines when a person is sick in your family or household?

· Whom do you consult when making healthcare decisions (e.g., other family member, cultural or religious leader)?

· Who will be able to help you during and after treatment? Do you need help to contact these people?

Group 5: Health and Health Planning

· What strategies does the client use to promote or maintain health, to prevent illness/injury, and to treat existing illness? What communication problems might occur?

· What biological and social factors should the nurse consider when planning care? What healthcare risks and individual needs characterize the client’s culture?

· What does the client want from traditional medicine? What problems are foreseeable?

· What decisions can be anticipated? Are there potential conflicts between the client’s traditional remedies and the regimen prescribed by the physician?

· How will these conflicts be resolved? How might any legal or ethical problems be addressed?

Sample questions taken from: Blais, K.K. & Hayes, J.S. (2015).
Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives. (7th ed). Pearson. p. 417.