MCCCD Program Description

Cultural Aspects of Health and Illness

Course: HES210

First Term: 2011 Spring

Lecture 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s) 3 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S

Description: Examines how culture influences health and illness, health care practices, barriers to health care, interactions with health care professionals, and health disparities in the U.S.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Evaluate the importance of the role culture plays in determining how different people perceive and shape their world. (I) 2. Identify cultural influences on one`s own beliefs and values toward health. (II) 3. Describe the impact of U.S. and non-U.S. cultural definitions of health, illness and disease on the individual`s health practices and response to healers. (I, II) 4. Compare and contrast healing and treatment methods of various cultures with those of the Western health care delivery system. (III) 5. Explore variations in family structure and dynamics across U.S. and non-U.S. cultures. (IV) 6. Identify cultural strengths and barriers that influence utilization of health care services. (V) 7. Explore cultural components of the aging process, and dying and death across cultures. (VI, VII, VIII, IX, X) 8. Identify strategies for delivery of culture-specific care based on the evaluation of cultural assessment data. (VI, VII, VIII, IX, X)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Cultural Foundations A. Cultural heritage and history B. Diversity C. Health and illness II. Health Traditions A. Health and illness B. Health care choices C. Folk medicine D. Health care philosophies III. Healing Traditions A. Ancient forms of healing B. Religion and healing C. Healing and today`s beliefs D. Ancient rituals related to the life cycle IV. Familial Health Traditions A. Familial health/health traditions V. Health Care Delivery and Issues A. Health care provider`s culture B. Health care costs C. Trends in development of health care delivery D. Barriers to health care E. Medicine as an Institution of Social Control VI. Health and Illness in the White or European American Populations A. Background B. Traditional definition of health and illness C. Traditional methods of health maintenance and protection D. Traditional methods of health restoration E. Current health problems VII. Health and Illness in the Hispanic American Populations A. Background B. Traditional definition of health and illness C. Traditional methods of health maintenance and protection D. Traditional methods of health restoration E. Current health problems VIII. Health and Illness in the Black American Population A. Background B. Traditional definition of health and illness C. Traditional methods of health maintenance and protection D. Traditional methods of health restoration E. Current health problems IX. Health and Illness in the American Indian and Alaska Native Population A. Background B. Traditional definition of health and illness C. Traditional methods of healing D. Current health care problems E. The Indian Health Service X. Health and Illness in the Asian American Populations A. Background B. Traditional definition of health and illness C. Traditional methods of health maintenance and protection D. Traditional methods of health restoration E. Current health problems

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 11/23/2010

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.