Question

The nurse is caring for a Chinese patient who is reluctant to answer questions about her health background. The nurse asks the patient if she would like her husband present when health questions are asked. The nurse does this knowing that the Chinese culture is a collectivistic and patrilineal culture. What does this mean?

a. Kinship extends to both the father's side and the mother's side of the family.
b. Kinship is limited to the side of the father.
c. Kinship is limited to the side of the mother.
d. The husband becomes part of the wife's clan after marriage.

Answer 1

In a collectivistic and patrilineal culture, kinship, inheritance, and familial roles are determined through the father's side of the family. Thus, the nurse suggesting the involvement of the husband understands the cultural significance and potential influence he possesses within the family structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a collectivistic and patrilineal culture, kinship and inheritance are traced through the male line—typically, the father's side. This implies a system where familial connections, rights to property, and social status are passed down from the father to his children. The nurse's knowledge that the culture is patrilineal suggests that the husband may play a significant role within the family's decision-making processes, and his presence might make the patient more comfortable in discussing her health background.

In patrilocal societies, it is customary for the wife to live with or near her husband's family, sometimes causing the woman to feel like an outsider in the community and disconnected from her own kin. While this is not directly part of the question, it provides context as to why the nurse would suggest the patient's husband's involvement. The correct answer to the question presented is: b. Kinship is limited to the side of the father.