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

The nurse suggests the presence of the patient's husband during the health consultation to respect the collectivistic and patrilineal aspects of Chinese culture, wherein the family operates as a unit with the male line being paramount in decision making.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse's understanding that the Chinese culture is collectivistic and patrilineal indicates a societal framework in which family is viewed through a lens of group orientation and descent is traced through the male line. Collectivistic cultures emphasize group goals and interdependence among their members, often involving the whole family or community in decision making and other aspects of life. In patrilineal cultures, kinship and family inheritance are primarily connected to the father's lineage. This worldview affects social structures, gender roles, and family dynamics, often resulting in family identities and possessions being passed down from father to son. As such, the inclusion of the husband in health discussions can be seen as a gesture of respecting cultural norms that value the role and input of male family members, particularly in decision-making processes.