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Taboo In African American Culture

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The ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures is cultural competence. “Culture” is a term that goes beyond just race or ethnicity. It can also refer to such characteristics as …disability, religion, income level, education, or profession (SAMHSA.gov, 2016).” Competency is defined as the capacity to function effectively (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
I could trace my cultural heritage back to Africa. However, as a descendant of slaves, I cannot pinpoint what part of Africa I came from. Overall, my cultural identity comes from the idea or notion that we have developed an African American culture by fusing imported slave and American culture together to fit our experience of life in America (Ritter, 2017). Therefore, my cultural …show more content…

However, as African Americans the biggest taboo we face is mental illness. According to the National Association for Mental Illness, mental health conditions are perceived by African Americans as a personal weakness or a punishment from God ( National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2018). Due to shame and stigma, African Americans are reluctant to discuss mental health issues let alone seek treatment related to such conditions. Among the African American families that I know many have at least one ‘crazy relative’ that no one speaks about except to reference how you will end of like them if you don’t stay right with …show more content…

“The assumption is that anyone with a legitimate problem would come to the other person directly. A lack of response to a general accusation or allegation by someone is viewed as an indication of innocence” (Zur, 2018).
African Americans often hold a fatalistic worldview believing that their health is in god’s hands. Many African Americans belong to churches and will seek the care of the church to assist with the healing that God will grant if you are deemed worthy. Prayer and ‘healing hands’ are a few remedies used by my culture. We are present oriented and can be rather relaxed about time. Thus, may be late for appointments (Ritter, 2017). Time is viewed as circular. In my family, we will set a time for an event with the expectation that the guests will show up

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