Interview by

Introduction

leahpanos2 — 2024-01-30 06:11:50 UTC

Interviewee: BC, age 57

Place of Birth: Nigeria

Familial Structure: Men are head of household

Age at time of Immigration: 14

Direct/ Multiple Moves?: One large move

Current Family Structure: BC states that she is head of household over her husband

Health Concerns: "None, we have great access to healthcare in the US"

Andrews & Boyle Assessment Tool: Cultural Affiliations

leahpanos2 — 2024-01-30 06:17:01 UTC

What culture do you affiliate with? "Nigerian and American culture"

How do your views differ from that of your family's? "My brothers still believe that men are head of household. My husband and I do not practice that"

What preferred terms does your culture affiliate with? "We identify as Americans now. But back home we would have just identified as Nigerians"

Andrews & Boyle Assessment Tool: Cultural Sanctions & Restrictions

leahpanos2 — 2024-01-30 06:31:34 UTC

How are emotions expressed in your culture? "Oh do we express our emotions! Our women especially are not known for biting our tongues"

Are there any restrictions on procedures such as abortions? "It isn't so much frowned upon, as they were not very accessible. Most women who wanted abortions did so at home and very dangerously"

Andrews & Boyle Assessment Tool: Developmental Considerations

leahpanos2 — 2024-01-30 06:40:12 UTC

What are the beliefs and practices associated with developmental life events such as pregnancy, birth, marriage, and death? "Girls are expected to marry and have babies while they are still babies. Under 18"

What is the cultural perception of aging? "Elders are to be respected. They are seen as being wise and the only ones to pass down wisdom"

How are elderly persons cared for within the cultural group? "They are taken in by their children and grandchildren and cared for"

Andrew & Boyle Assessment Tool: Health-Related Beliefs & Practices section

leahpanos2 — 2024-01-30 06:50:43 UTC

What is your religious affiliation? "I am a proud Christian woman. That is how my mother raised me and how her mother raised her. I go to church every Sunday"

How do those in your culture relate health to spirituality? "To be in good health, you must be at peace. If there is conflict in your life, you will not be healthy"

How do you and your family perceive nurses? "I am the first nurse in my family, so I have been a great source of education to those back home. It is a respectable job"

What type of healing do those in your culture utilize? "Many of us meditate. We pray"

Do you have any cultural healers? "We lean on the ministry"

Andrews and Boyle Assessment Tool: Religion and Spirituality

leahpanos2 — 2024-01-30 06:59:32 UTC

Are there any healing rituals that you partake in? "Like I was saying before, we do a lot of praying in times of need. There isn't a thing that God cannot heal"

How is death viewed in your culture? "It depends who you ask. I see it as a beautiful thing, it's when you meet God. Some are just sad when it happens. Others believe in reincarnation"

Andrews and Boyle Assessment Tool: Section of Choice. Values Orientation

leahpanos2 — 2024-01-30 07:12:10 UTC

How do you react to/ perceive change? "Oh no no no. We do not like change. We are very set in our ways."

How do you perceive work/ education/ leisure? "We are very hardworking people. We didn't have a choice. Either go to work and feed your family, or you all starve"

Support Health

leahpanos2 — 2024-01-30 07:18:38 UTC

The person, BC, that I interviewed has been a nurse for over 20 years and has great health literacy because of this. She recognizes that in Nigeria, there is not always great access to health care and it is part of the reason her family immigrated to America. She recognizes that Americans are very fortunate to have access to basic health care that are not always easily accessible in other areas of the world.

Reflection on the Interview

leahpanos2 — 2024-01-30 07:22:21 UTC

This interview gave me great insight to the culture of a coworker that I have known for quite sometime. She is always a very outspoken person who isn't shy to speak her mind. Through this interview, she explained that much of her personality came from how she was raised in her culture. She was raised with many men in her family, who are normally seen as head of house hold. BC explains that in order for her words to be heard, she had to be assertive. I have gained an even greater respect for her through this interview.