Myanmar Culture by

Native Language

shantisarasola — 2024-08-29 02:59:22 UTC

Myanmar’s native or primary language is ‘Burmese’ where majority of the locals speaks . Burmese is taught in school as well as English when the British came to the country after the colonial period. Then for several years English was the official language of the country until its independence in 1962. Now, Burmese people still uses their native language, but other ethnicity also speaks their dialect such as the Karen, Kachin and Chin people(Britannica, 2019).

Reference:

Britannica. (2019). Myanmar - Languages | Britannica. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Myanmar/Languages

Myanmar Culture : Language, Religion, Food - Original Travel. (n.d.). Www.originaltravel.co.uk. https://www.originaltravel.co.uk/travel-guide/myanmar/culture#:~:text=Three%20quarters%20of%20the%20population

Traditional Food - Laphet

shantisarasola — 2024-08-29 03:08:01 UTC

Laphet is a traditional Burmese food made of fermented tea leaf. This dish is staple in every Burmese household because they eat this almost everyday. Laphet is eaten in many ways, as a snack, a side salad or on its own. Hence to why some Burmese mix their Laphet with other ingredients to modify the taste.

Further, Myanmar people take pride of Laphet as it originated from their country and it conserves their traditional method of fermentation. Lastly, Laphet serves as a symbol of peace to Myanmar people which is why this dish is usually offered to their guests (Han & Aye, 2015).

Reference:

Han, T., & Aye, K. N. (2015). The legend of laphet: A Myanmar fermented tea leaf. Journal of Ethnic Foods, 2(4), 173–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jef.2015.11.003

Religion - Buddhism

shantisarasola — 2024-08-29 04:42:13 UTC

The Mon people are one of the earliest ethnic group settlers to reside in Myanmar where they influenced the southern part of the country andinitiated Theravada Buddhism and then spread the religion all throughout the country especially after the 12^th century where they built thousands of Buddhist temples across Myanmar. Up to this day, the majority of Burmese are Theravada Buddhists which covers about 88% of their population, only small percentage are Christians and Muslims and lesser in other religions such Hindus and Jews (Hayward & Wai Naing, 2023).

Reference:

Hayward, S., & Wai Naing, H. (2023, June). Myanmar. United States Institute of Peace. https://www.usip.org/programs/religion-and-conflict-country-profiles/myanmar

Traditional Medicine Practice

shantisarasola — 2024-08-29 05:13:44 UTC

In Myanmar, most Burmese use Thanaka paste made from tree bark for sun protection, they apply the yellowy paste around their face, especially in their cheeks, forehead, nose and chin. Thanaka has been around for over 2000 years, every ethnicity in the country uses it which is why it also symbolises unity and plays in integral part of their culture (Thanaka in Myanmar, 2020).

Burmese women believe that the paste can also prevent wrinkles and acne which helps their skin become more beautiful and the children will have healthier skin. Lastly, due to its sandalwood scent it can relieve insect bites in rural places (Thanaka in Myanmar, 2020).

Reference:

Thanaka in Myanmar. (2020, September 14). Myanmar Travel. https://myanmartravel.com/thanaka-in-myanmar/

Common Health Issue - Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)

shantisarasola — 2024-08-29 05:23:39 UTC

When Myanmar people come to Australia from a refugee background they are recommended to perform a comprehensive health assessment to identify any health concerns they may have. A routine screening is performed to assess their overall health and according to ‘The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide’ there is a high percentage of Burmese people who have been positive with Hepatitis B Virus (Australian Refugee Health» Primary Care for People of Refugee Backgrounds, n.d.).

Fortunately, there is an effective treatment and vaccination available as well as continues monitoring and physical examination to detect any signs of chronic liver disease.

Reference:

Australian Refugee Health» Primary Care for People of Refugee Backgrounds. (n.d.). The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au

Domain 1 - 1.2

shantisarasola — 2024-08-29 05:24:16 UTC

When caring for a Burmese refugee, I must be mindful and acknowledge that they’ve had past traumatic experience especially pre-migration in Australia (Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds, 2024). As their nurse, I feel responsible to make them feel safe and secure during my care so they will feel as comfortable as they can be. During the care, I will also communicate with my patient according to their preferred method, e.g. if they need translator or speech pathology, to ensure that they will receive the right information to improve their health conditions. Further, by focusing on providing a safe and quality person centred care to my patients I will provide a respectful experience during their treatment.

Reference:

Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds. (2024). Murdoch.edu.au. https://moodleprod.murdoch.edu.au/pluginfile.php/4119639/mod_resource/content/3/Culturally-responsive-clinical-practice-Working-with-people-from-migrant-and-refugee-backgrounds-Jan2019.pdf

WHO Determinants

shantisarasola — 2024-08-29 05:25:11 UTC

The social determinants of health (SDH) are factors in people’s environment that influence their health outcome, such as their work, living conditions and education which could affect their health positively or negatively (WHO, 2024).

One specific SDH that impacts many Burmese refugees when coming to Australia is the ‘Social inclusion & non-discrimination’ factors because some find it difficult to adjust due to the culture shock and their traumatic experiences such as death, family separation and lack of necessities which led them to have symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD (Burmese Australians, n.d.). Lastly, their overall mental wellbeing has been negatively impacted because of the trauma from their past and the uncertainty of their future in Australia (Schweitzer et al., 2011).

Reference:

Burmese Australians. (n.d.). https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0027/155835/burmese2011.pdf

Schweitzer, R. D., Brough, M., Vromans, L., & Asic-Kobe, M. (2011). Mental Health of Newly Arrived Burmese Refugees in Australia: Contributions of Pre-Migration and Post-Migration Experience. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45(4), 299–307. https://doi.org/10.3109/00048674.2010.543412

WHO. (2024). Social determinants of health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1