Research Paper Sample on Irish American Culture

Every culture has their beliefs concerning elements such as handling elders, medical care and communication. In most cases, it is usually based on their traditional beliefs which are then passed on to the modern world. The essay will explore the Irish American culture concerning the function and position of the elderly within the family, visions, and activities to prevent illness uphold wellness and preserve one's health and that of others and communication forms suitable to family members on the basis of gender and age.

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Irish American families are matriarchal implying that they are ruled by females. As such, elders have little authority over the family, and the mother has been mandated to manage all the family members. The mother manages even the father who is viewed as a peripheral figure in the family. On the other hand, elders are taken care of and are mostly required to give advice whenever it is necessary. However, they are accorded a high level of respect by the rest of the family despite the matriarchal status of the Irish American families (American Counseling Association, 2015).

Irish American culture uses the whole or alternative medical symptoms approach to avert disease, uphold wellness and preserve health and health and care for self and others as well. As such, they rely on ideas and practices that may have evolved in their culture and then apply them to their advantage. Research has depicted that elderly people in the Irish American culture may be reluctant to be treated through the current medical system available in the country. It has been attributed to lack of a national health service in their country of origin, Ireland and the subsequent high consultation costs when visiting a doctor. It thus made them develop with a culture of going to see a doctor when it is essential (Sesko, 2017).

Additionally, approaches towards the health occupation were passed to the other second and third cohort of Irish individuals who have also been perceived to have a healthy disregard for health specialists. Besides, it has been pointed out that the elderly Irish people are hesitant to attend a hospital or current medical practice due to nervousness about being in an unaccustomed setting of a hospital (Casey, 2010). It is thus apparent that these aspects have resulted in a low number of individuals in Irish American culture entirely depending on hospitals.

The whole or alternative medical symptoms are thus efficient for use by Irish American culture. In this way, they enhance their health and well-being or even relieve symptoms linked with terminal or chronic illnesses. Since they are hesitant about the conventional medical practices, the whole or alternative domain enables the Irish American culture to have a holistic health philosophy that alters their worldview and gives them greater control over their health (Taylor, Lillis & Lyn, 2015).

The Irish people utilize a wide variety of resources and strategies when dealing with health problems. They also have an ethnic legacy which has some impact on their health opinions. Some of the Irish people's diversity methods to healthcare are related to age. However, it is apparent that in the Irish American culture, the concentration on a more stable address when selecting results for the entire populace is quite significant (Casey, 2017).

In the Irish American culture, elders are highly respected and given a priority during communication. Young people are required to obey their elders especially when they are speaking and only talk once they are finished (McCarthy, 2015). However, this culture values everyone regardless of their gender, and thus, men and women in the family unit have an equal opportunity to make decisions especially when they are efficient (Galvin, Braithwaite & Bylund, 2015).

The essay has explored certain aspects concerning the Irish American culture related to health care and communication within the family based on age and gender. It has been depicted that this culture is quite reluctant to rely on conventional medical approaches entirely and opts to incorporate it with their traditional way. Also, concerning communication, it is relevant for young people to respect the elders. However, there is no gender discrimination as men and women have an equal opportunity to make decisions in the family as long as they are useful.

References

American Counseling Association. (2015). The ACA encyclopedia of counseling. Alexandria, Virginia: American Counseling Association.

Casey, R. (2010). 'You doctor yourself': health beliefs, resilience and well-being among the Irish in Yorkshire. Diversity in Health & Care, 7(2).Galvin, K., Braithwaite, D., & Bylund, C. (2015). Family Communication. London: Taylor and Francis.

McCarthy, A. (2015). Ireland in the world. Routledge.Sesko, T. P. (2017). Culture and Mental Health: Considering the Role of the Complex Cultural-History in Irish-American Population.

Taylor, C., Lillis, C., & Lynn, P. (2015). Fundamentals of nursing (8th ed.). Philadelphia [etc.]: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.