Introduction to Health and Culture - Essay Example

WALKING IN BEAUTY Every culture has its own healing rituals and forms of curing the sick that the 'old' or experienced people follow to help restore the health of the younger members of their community. There are basic steps in order to achieve the goal of health that people are vying to get. By following these rituals, not only health is restored but also the good spirits and positive aura is exuded. Walking in Beauty, shows both culture and health associations and how both are essential and goes hand in hand in society.

In the movie "Walking in Beauty" some rituals is present and has been identified to give emphasis on cultural differences and cross-culture adaptability and flexibility. The Navajo people value their words as much as they value life because they believe that the words they utter will have a deeper impact on how their lives will go. They do not give out words easily and more often than not, other people find themselves waiting for 30 seconds or more just to hear what a member of the Navajo tribe has to say.

And more often than not, this characteristic result to conflict or misunderstanding due to the fact that not all who converse with the Navajo people understands or even knows this trait. The doctors and other medical staffs, who have also graduated with a secret degree on Tact and Diplomacy together with their medical degree, are imbedded with deeper understanding and vast knowledge as to how to deal with different kinds of people. Treating a person from a different culture and with a different background is not prioritized in this aspect.

As a person with a mission, healing people is the main goal. Doesn't matter who your patients are, what they are and where they come from; as long as the service given is fair and just, the mission has been served well. Navajo people are also afraid of death; Also the same with everyone all over the world. That doesn't make them ignorant or simple. It just shows that they are also humans and not as much different from what people all over the world are. Medical people should have a clear understanding of the fears of their patients and should try to at least dissolve some of these fears.

Not all agree to the kind of medical service a person gets from hospitals or other health centers. Things vary down from the kind of medicine up to the way process of healing should be conducted. Things may vary also to a person's wants and needs of a medical attention. Like in the Navajo case, medical attention from a doctor or a science specialist is cheaper than that from their own medical doctors or what they call, hataatii. As much as they would want to go to their own healers, they would prefer to go to a doctor of medicine than to their own as it is more expensive to go to a hataatii.

Although Navajo's believe that their rituals, process of healing and purification are better and the results are positive, society commands that doctors are the best of the best as everything is based on facts and figures. As compared to the healing rituals of the Navajo's wherein everything is based on "gut-feeling" and nothing is certain but their faith and belief system. Going to a medicine doctor lessens the good aura that Navajo's feel whenever they visit their own doctors. They believe that their sickness is a punishment from one of their many gods and they must offer rituals and ceremonies to pacify their gods.

This may be a source of conflict as people may not understand the Navajo's culture and their beliefs. Some may be critical and their may be a source of conflict and misunderstanding.The answer to this is to educate people and make them understand that not all adhere to each and everyone's culture and beliefs. Respect and acknowledgement should be given and practiced anywhere around the globe as people may have a different knowledge and attitude from us. Open mindedness is also called forth to serve as a buffer from different societal aspects.