I just finished filling out a teaching application, and one of the required questions asked how I would respond to a student recently from Somalia who did not want to participate in sports because she was fasting. The scenario also asked me to evaluate the negative response of a hypothetical teacher, who had assumed that the student was either anorexic or that her parents were not feeding her. I thought this was an interesting question, as a link between culture, religion, and education was clearly presented, with the overall point I believe being not just an acceptance of diversity, but a respect for diversity. Knowledge and understanding, without judgment. I found a great article on the subject:
https://ethnomed.org/clinical/nutrition/food-and-fasting-in-somali-culture
This led me to explore the whole website, ethnomed. It is specifically meant to be relevant to people in the Seattle area, but has a wealth of information that can apply here and anywhere. Health care workers, teachers, or anyone interested, can browse by health topic or by any culture or ethnicity listed. The site lists some of the cultures most found in Seattle, but has links to many more, as well as to a variety of articles. This, I believe, highlights an importance of acknowledging ethnicity, and of gaining knowledge for deeper understanding. By improving relationships and increasing understanding, resources like this can contribute greatly to best practice, and can also literally save lives. As medicine, and hopefully education, get more personal and tailored to each individuals' needs, it stands that acknowledging ethnicity and culture as a factor in a persons overall health and identity is important. There are also some interesting links related to the subject of cultural competency.
https://ethnomed.org/about
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