Introduction
The United States is a multinational country that became home to people of different cultural and ethnic background. Despite some assimilative processes, they have preserved their genuine traditions and beliefs, which have an impact on their contemporary life in different spheres including healthcare. This paper analyzes two different ethnic groups, the Appalachians, and Arab Americans. While the Appalachians are descendants of Native American tribes, Arab people came to the United States only in the nineteenth century. Still, despite evident differences, these two ethnicities share some common features.
An Overview of the Inhabited Localities and Topography
The majority of Appalachian people live in the Appalachia region, which is defined federally. It comprises 410 counties in 13 states throughout the country, mainly in West Virginia (Giger, 2013). The other states include Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, New York, and some others. As of 2015, there were about 27 million Appalachians inhabiting the area. The region is mainly mountainous and rugged, which, probably, had some impact on the development of Appalachian cultural heritage (Purnell, 2014).
Arab Americans trace their history back to the nineteenth century when the first Arab immigrants arrived in the United States. At present, there are about 3.7 million Americans with Arab roots (Arab American Institute, 2014). There are Arab Americans in all the states, but the majority of this ethnic minority live in California, Michigan, New York, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. They live mainly in metropolitan areas (94%), such as Los Angeles, Detroit, New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C. (Arab American Institute, 2014).
Similarities in the Beliefs of the Appalachian and Arab Heritages about Healthcare
The Appalachians are rather preserved and practice the ethic of neutrality (Purnell, 2014). They tend to avoid aggression, dominance, and arguments, which influences different spheres of their lives, including healthcare. The Appalachians are characterized by fatalistic views and often believe they have no or little control over a situation. Similarly to the Appalachians, Arab Americans value privacy and avoid sharing personal information. Another similarity is the belief that the God has the greatest power and everything depends on God’s will (Purnell, 2014). Still, Arab people have more trust in conventional medicine than the Appalachians.
The Impact of Religion or Folk Beliefs on the Delivery of Healthcare
For the Appalachians, prayer is the major source of strength. Moreover, nature is essential. In fact, many Appalachians believe that nature can heal. Folk remedies and self-medicating is prevalent within this group, and they do not see a healthcare provider until other methods fail. Also, folk medicine is popular among the Appalachians. Herbal medicine, poultices, and teas are integral components of culture (Purnell, 2014). The Appalachians are mainly concerned about the condition of their blood, nerves, and sugar or sweet blood (Giger, 2013).
As for Arab Americans, religion is crucial for them. The majority of Arab population are Muslims and follow Islam, which does not separate church from the state and thus is present in every aspect of life (Purnell, 2014). A peculiarity of Muslims related to healthcare is their belief in the power of prayer, spiritual medicine, and its combination with conventional treatment practices. Also, witchcraft and magic including the influence of the evil eye or jealous people are popular among Arab people.
Conclusion
On the whole, attitudes to healthcare delivery are greatly influenced by the cultural background. The heritage of the Appalachians and Arab Americans has different roots, but there are some similarities in attitudes to health and illnesses. For example, religious and folk beliefs of Arab Americans and Appalachians make them seek healing in their traditional practices such as spiritual medicine or folk remedies. Still, both groups acknowledge the authority of conventional medicine when traditional healing fails.
References
Arab American Institute. (2014). Demographics. Web.
Giger, J. (2013). Transcultural nursing: Assessment and intervention (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Purnell, L. D. (2014). Guide to culturally competent health care (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.