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Transcultural Nursing Research–Alien in an Alien Land
Author(s) -
O'Brien Mary Elizabeth
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
image
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1547-5069
pISSN - 0363-2792
DOI - 10.1111/j.1547-5069.1981.tb01479.x
Subject(s) - alien , socialization , context (archaeology) , nursing , sociocultural evolution , transcultural nursing , sociology , psychology , health care , medicine , social science , political science , geography , anthropology , population , demography , archaeology , law , census
Summary This discussion has reviewed briefly a few of the methodological difficulties which the transcultural nursing researcher may confront. If nursing is to expand its horizons to encompass the newly articulated concepts of holistic health care, clients must be viewed in context of their cultural heritage and previous health ‐illness socialization. Through immersing oneself for a period of time in the sociocultural milieu of a people, the researcher may identify patterns of health‐illness belief and behavior, and from these, culture‐specific nursing attitudes and activities may be derived. Transcultural nursing research can be a productive, enriching experience, at the end of which most investigators find themselves at least a little less “alien” in an alien land.