As Western Canada's ethnic population increases, health care and social service workers are recognizing the importance of their being more aware of the particular needs of their ethnic patients in order to provide culturally sensitive and effective treatment programs. This handbook describes several recent immigrant groups in western Canada, among them Vietnamese, South and Southeast Asians, Chinese, Japanese, Central Americans, West Indians, and Iranians. It is unique in its approach, as it provides information not only about the health beliefs and practices of these communities but also about the social context of each group. Each chapter describes one particular ethnic group and discusses its attitudes towards such issues as childbirth, mental illness, dental care, hospitalization, and death. Information is also given on the level of health care, the religion, education, and political system in the home country, as well as on the reasons for emigrating and problems of adjusting to life in Canada. The authors, who are themselves members of the communities they describe, work in a variety of health-related fields. The information they provide reflects the kinds of questions professionals ask about these immigrant groups. The final chapter offers specific guidelines for cultural assessment, including strategies for negotiating a plan of care that will be acceptable to both the clinician and the patient. With its wealth of practical information, Cross-Cultural Caring will be particularly useful to those working directly with ethnic patients, such as nurses, social workers, physicians, dentists, and psychologists. It will also provide important information for administrators in health care and social service agencies and will be of interest to those in medical sociology and anthropology.

Elizabeth Richardson's profile page

Nancy Waxler-Morrison's profile page

Joan Anderson's profile page

Nancy Waxler-Morrison (editor) is an associate professor of social work and sociology at the University of British Columbia. Joan M. Anderson (editor) is a professor of nursing at the University of British Columbia. Elizabeth Richardson (editor) is a social worker with the Ministry of Social Services and Housing, British Columbia.

Cross-Cultural Caring is helpful. The chapters are concise, well-written, informative and relevant to practice in Canada. All sections provide a useful overview of historical experiences, adjustment styles, preferred values, and typical ways of thinking. - Susan E. Smith, Canadian Journal of Public Health The introduction written by Nancy Waxler-Morrison provides a perspective for health care professionals that is culturally sensitive to the needs of the professional, and the ethnic community. It offers a strong foundation for the development of attitudes necessary in reviewing and utilizing the information provided in the rest of the book. . . I would highly recommend this book as a teaching manual and encourage health care agencies to make copies available to staff. It promotes and encourages an approach to the delivery of health care that is culturally sensitive and makes us aware that culturally sensitive health care is only an extension, not an addition to the care we already deliver. - L. Dayler, Gerontology Update This book will be of primary interest to health professionals who interact with immigrant patients, but it may also appeal to readers eager to learn more about this diverse array of Canadian newcomers. Cross-Cultural Caring is a useful reminder that Canadian ethnic conflicts are not confined to the familiar ones between citizens of English and French extraction-and that texts such as these will be more common in the future, given Canada's demographics. Moreover, it also emphasizes that social services such as health care need to be provided through a dialogue between provider and consumer instead of merely being handed down by provider in the absence of discussion. - Barry G. Rabe, The American Review of Canadian Studies