1. Cultural Assessment Presentation
Jennifer Corbin
NSG 4410
April 8, 2018

2. Indian / Caribbean Hinduism
Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions.
Hinduism is more than a religion. It is a culture, a way of life, and a code of behavior. This is reflected in a term Indians use to describe the Hindu religion: Sanatana Dharma, which means eternal faith, or the eternal way things are (truth).
I will be interviewing my good friend Sashana Aldana, she is from Guyana, a country in South America.

3. Communication
Hindu are known to be very polite, they avoid conflict to the point they will tell you what you want to hear just to avoid a confrontation.
They avoid saying “No” this is a indication of hostile or aggressiveness
In the Caribbean Hindu culture they are very touchy, they greet each other with kisses on the cheek to say hello.
Eye contact is a must, when talking with one another and others they are very stern on eye contact, it shows a sign of respect.
When praying to the 9 different Gods called Deities, they believe to look in the eyes of the Gods, this is a sign of respect, it also is a direct path for the Deities to give their blessings and positive energy to you.

4. Time The Hindu culture lives in the moment and plans for the future.
They believe that their body is borrowed, so they soul search and live life to the fullest.
Its bad karma to live in the past.
Karma, translates to "action," is a core concept in Hinduism… Importantly, karma is wrapped up with the concept of reincarnation or rebirth, in which a person is born in a new human (or nonhuman) body after death.

5. Space
As for personal space, they believe to have mutual respect however they are very open and loving.
For intimate relationships, they believe in private marriages. Not a lot of public display of affection
Social is very friendly, open – however, they will be reserved until trust is satisfied.

6. Social Organization The Hindu religion meets weekly at temple.
They believe in many Gods, of which each hold a specific energy and blessing
Prayers are held in the home, this happens yearly, this is a time to welcome Gods into the home and provide offerings. This Prayer is called a Puja

7. Environment Control
As far as the environment, Hindu culture believes in Karma, they believe what goes around comes back around and can even affect your future life, after reincarnation.
They are very nurturing, putting good forward.
Its important to them to donate / give offerings

8. Biological Variations
Hindu culture does not eat beef or pork. This is important to consider when having a patient of this culture, for menu planning and also some injections and medications have beef and pork products in them.
they are of the darker skin tones, with dark thick hair and typically brown eyes.

9. Reflecting
Since I have an insider perspective on the Hinduism culture, I felt that I had a good sense of understanding of their culture and beliefs. However, after speaking with Sashana and going in depth with the Transcultural Assessment Model guide, I now have a greater appreciation for this culture. They have been so warm, welcoming, and treated me as family anytime I was at a gathering. I find it interesting to me when speaking with Sashana about certain aspects of her culture and then being able to place that when I was in the environment, such as respect of taking shoes off while inside the home, because that is a sacred place and not to be disrespected with unnecessary dirt.

10. Reference
Kane Academy (2018). Beliefs of Hinduism. Retrieved from: asian-culture/hindu-art-culture/a/beliefs-of-hinduism
Giger, Davidzar (2013). Transcultural Assessment Model.