This paper explores the Chinese culture from the view-point of a nursing student. A little girl from China was interviewed and her statements are in the introduction paragraph. Traditions, religious beliefs, social norms, common health problems, and food are explored throughout this paper. I was able to link some concepts such as food, health problems, and medical remedies together as they are related.
Our group chose to do this cultural project on the Chinese culture. We interviewed a little girl who was born in Guizhou Province, China; she was adopted and now lives in the United States. She is in eighth grade and her religion is Christian, specifically Protestant. When asked about holidays or traditions that she celebrates, she said that she enjoys all ‘normal’ holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. Along with those, however, she and her family celebrate Chinese New Year.
They usually go to Raleigh for the annual New Year’s festival held according to the Lunar Calendar. She also enjoys festivities at UNCG and the Greensboro Chinese Association. Her particular medical diagnoses are cerebral palsy, ADHD, and seizure disorder. While we were there, she told us some ‘fun facts’ about herself. Her favorite food is Chinese dumplings and noodles and upon high school graduation, she and her family are planning a trip to go back to China. She wants to see the Great Wall, the Terracotta Soldiers, and the province she was born in.
127 our experts are availableright now
She also wants to see the city that she and her mother lived in before coming to the United States. Her adoptive mother took care of her in China from the time she was two months old, but the adoption was not completed until she was two years old: she came to the United States in 2007. Upon arrival to the United States, she immediately became an American citizen and even received a welcome letter from President Bush.
In order to better understand the culture, research was done to find information such as traditions. To begin with, China is an extremely large country both in population and area; approximately 1.4 billion people live there. Currently, the nation is run by a Communist Party that is officially atheist-meaning that they believe in no higher power. The Party is, however, becoming more tolerant of religions, though there are only five official ones allowed to be legally practiced.
These are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The Chinese constitution states freedom of religion, but there has been very little tolerance until the past decade or so. Even presently, if any religion outside of the five is openly practiced, it is considered a crime. Language is an interesting topic for the Chinese culture, as there are seven different dialects that are very distinct and different from each other.
Mandarin is the most common and spoken by 72% of the population, followed by Wu, Yue, Xiang, Min, Hakka, and Gan. Because there is so much variety in the language, there is an official language of China called Putonghua, which is a type of Mandarin spoken in Beijing, the capital. It is now becoming more popular for Chinese to become fluent in English as well.
Chinese food is well known throughout other parts of the world. In the United States, it is very common. As many know, rice is the staple food for the Chinese and is a component in nearly all of their dishes. Not only is rice a food source, it is a monumental element that helped their nation grow economically. The majority of their food is stir-fried and cooked in peanut oil, sesame paste, and ginger-therefore making it spicy. Bean sprouts, cabbage, and scallions are also major components of their everyday meals. Most of them do not consume much meat other than occasional pork or chicken, so they heavily rely on tofu as a protein source.
For the Chinese culture, art is a large component of what makes their history. It is influenced by spiritual and musical history. Musical instruments such as the xun and guqin are regularly played and sculptures of Buddha are commonly on display. The ancient Chinese were known to be avid writers and philosophers. ‘Recently, archaeologists discovered detailed paintings in a 1,400-year-old tomb in China’ (Zimmerman, Kim Ann, 2017). The paintings were said to be very metaphorical and contained rich connotations-not components typically found in tombs from so long ago.
Large amounts of money have been invested into science and technology in China. They compete with the United States for money spent on research advancements. However, in the tiny towns and villages, proper education and screenings are rarely available. Stroke, cancer, poor diet, hypertension, and diabetes plague the country. As mentioned previously, most of their food is fried and cooked in unhealthy oils. This contributes to multiple health issues such as hypertension and diabetes. The leading cause of death in China is stroke, which is greatly influenced by hypertension. However, many individuals throughout China are unaware of the risks they are at and how they can help themselves.
The Chinese culture has some specific common medical remedies other than modern medicine. A few of them being the following: acupuncture, herbal medicines, and Tai Chi. Acupuncture is becoming a more popular treatment and is now FDA approved in the United States as well. There are standards to make sure it is done properly, though. The needles have to be sterile, nontoxic, and labeled as one-time use. Otherwise, complications can arise. Although it is a generally safe practice, it does not always work on everyone. Herbal medicines are thought to do more harm than good-though they are very popular amongst the Chinese culture.
Although some may be safe, others are contaminated with drugs, toxins, or metals. Because of this, Chinese herbal medicine has been linked to causing myocardial infarctions and strokes. Tai Chi is a century old healing practice for the mind and body. It involves gentle, dance-like movements and focuses on deep breathing and relaxation: it is similar to what we know as yoga. Although the Chinese have medical remedies and traditions, they are very advanced in modern medicine as well.
References
- Callahan, B. (2015). Nursing: A concept-based approach to learning(3rd ed., Vol. 2). Boston: Pearson.
- Lawler, K. (2010). RN Adult medical surgical nursing(10.0 ed.). Place of publication not identified: ATI Nursing education.
- Zimmermann, K. A. (2017, December 11). Chinese Culture: Customs & Traditions of China. Retrieved November 10, 18, from https://www.livescience.com/28823-chinese-culture.html
