Introduction
The cultural orientation of a society plays a significant role in shaping healthcare. Culture impacts key areas including nutrition, environmental interactions, and migration patterns (Napier et al., 2017). This paper explores the impact of cultural values, beliefs, and practices on health in contemporary society.
Specific Questions
The interview questions included: What type of medication is used by the members of the Maasai culture? What cultural biases and beliefs exist about healthcare in the Maasai culture? And how do the biases and beliefs affect the health-seeking behavior of the members of the community?
Implications of the Cultural Biases and Beliefs on Health
The Maasai culture encourages the use of herbal medication. The culture is biased against conventional medicine, which has negative health implications due to the inadequacy of herbal medicine. Teenage marriages and polygamy encourage the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and birth complications, especially in young girls (Rashed & Hussien, 2015). Moreover, beliefs such as high bravery demands on males hinder timely medical attention among the Maasai men, hence worsening their health conditions.
Reflection on My Cultural Norms
My culture is less conservative and promotes a more civilized way of life. It also encourages education regardless of gender differences and allows the use of conventional medicine alongside herbs. Practices such as early marriages, polygamy, and obsession with masculine bravery are not part of my culture.
I am comfortable with my culture because it fosters health and minimizes suffering brought by the use of crude medication methods. The Maasai culture is similar to mine in the use of herbal medicine. It, however, features retrogressive practices such as polygamy and early marriages, which are absent in my culture.
References
- Napier, D., Depledge, M. H., Knipper, M., Lovell, R., Ponarin, E., Sanabria, E., & Thomas, F. (2017). Culture matters: Using a cultural contexts of health approach to enhance policy-making. Copenhagen, Denmark: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.
- Rashed, T., & Hussien, M. (2015). Culture and Health: A study in Medical Anthropology in Kenya. In The 30 th Annual International Conference of the Institute of African Research and Studies (pp. 687-709). Giza, Egypt: Cairo University.