Week 6_2 Cultural Health Capital

Question 1

Shim’s Observation
& Question

Answer 1

• Health care systems are plagued by social inequities in
  quality, satisfaction, and service provision, despite wellintentioned doctors and providers and significant resource
  investment. Why so?
• Certain skills and resources are critical to the ability to
  effectively engage and communicate with clinical
  providers

Rooted in Bourdieu’s understanding of cultural capital.

Question 2

Bourdieu’s Forms of Capital

Answer 2

Economic
* Currency = money and financial resources
* Indicator = economic status

Cultural
* Currency = prestige, knowledge, tastes
* Indicator = reputation, education

Question 3

Cultural
Health
Capital

Def. Shim (2010)

Answer 3

• “a specific repertoire of cultural
  skills, verbal and nonverbal
  competencies , and interactional
  styles that can influence health
  care interaction…”

Question 4

Cultural
Health
Capital

Def. Dubbin et al. (2014)

Answer 4

• “a specialized set of cultural skills,
  behaviors and interactional styles
  that are valued and leveraged as
  assets by both patients and
  providers in clinical encounters.”

Question 5

How does
Cultural
Health Capital
work?

Answer 5

• As resources to be leveraged, a
  “toolkit,” for effective engagement
  with providers
• Sometimes strategic and deliberate,
  often tacit and pragmatic
• Develops through repeated
  enactment
• Systematic inequalities in accruing
  CHC and converting CHC into
  advantage

Question 6

CHC and Fundamental Cause Theory

Answer 6

• Non-purposive/strategic (similar to 4-
  metamechanisms extension)
• Also effective during stagnant periods of
  technology and risk, but organization/culture
  of health care changes

Question 7

CHC and Social Constructionism

Answer 7

• CHC may be vital to the lay initiation of
  disease discovery or medicalization
• CHC is critical in clinical interactions which
  shape patienthood experience, potentially
  particularly for contested illnesses