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Multicultural health care: reconciling universalism and particularism
Author(s) -
Fuller Jeff
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
nursing inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.66
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1800
pISSN - 1320-7881
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1800.1997.tb00093.x
Subject(s) - universalism , multiculturalism , mainstream , ethnic group , health care , appeal , sociology , bureaucracy , public relations , political science , politics , law , anthropology
Multicultural health care: reconciling universalism and particularism One of the issues of concern in multicultural health care is the degree to which one universal (or mainstream) service can meet the needs of all groups and the extent to which specialist (or ethno‐specific) services are required to meet the needs of particular groups. In order to advance debate on this issue, multiculturalism is examined against concepts of identity, equality, bureaucracy and participation. While the appeal of universal healthcare services is that they appear to deliver equal healdi care to all, they in fact systematically advantage diose whose values most closely fit widi die dominant social norms. Altiiough ethnic‐specific services may overcome diis problem, in that they enable ‘tailor‐made’ care, it is unlikely that diey would be able to meet all of the healdi needs of all people from edinic minorities, especially in locations where numbers are low. Ethnic minority participation in the processes of the healdi system is proposed as a way for die universal health system to reconcile die need to treat people equally (universalism), but in accordance witii dieir unique and different needs (particularism).