Intercultural Health Communication in Three Different Settings.

This paper on the importance of intercultural communication focuses on the health care needs of people in the United States and other countries and on the communication problems the diverse cultures of these countries present for health care professionals. The paper first discusses the cultural orientations of Mexican immigrants in the United States, the peoples of Nepal, and the Japanese, and the health problems of each of these populations. It then explores the need for intercultural communication training within health care curricula to enable professionals to work effectively in these cultures. The paper next presents an outline for an intercultural communication course designed for health care majors at California State University (Northridge) that (1) explores different sociocultural factors, role theory, attitudes and values, language, and verbal and nonverbal communication and (2) provides field experience in an intercultural health setting. Appendixes include a class syllabus, an intercultural communication bibliography, and required courses for health education degrees. (HTH)