Andrea Loving

DHY245
Cultural Diversity Paper
15 April 2020
Cultural Diversity
Our country is full of individuals from many different cultural backgrounds. It is

important for us to be knowledgeable of our own culture as well as many others, since as

hygienists we will be providing services to many different people. In our profession, we must be

respectful of the beliefs and practices of other cultures by adjusting any treatment to match up to

the principles of that culture.

I have experienced cultural diversity in the past, when I was a waitress at a Greek

restaurant named Kaldera that was located in Pella, Iowa. I spent about a year working there, so

I became very close with my bosses and all of the other employees. The owners of the

establishment were originally from Greece, so therefore they spoke the language. In addition to

that, several of the employees were also familiar with the language. During busier evenings,

they would speak in Greek and it would add to my stress because I wouldn’t have a clue what

they were talking about. It took adjustment on my side in order to be more understanding of

them, because they handled conflict differently than I had experienced in my other jobs.

Working at this restaurant also taught me many things about the cuisine in this culture.

In their culture, coffee is a very important part of many social experiences. Just like in our

society, many people will go to cafes to relax, do work, and have casual conversation. It is also

said that some people will use coffee as a “good luck charm” and pour some of their cup out to

bring money and success into their lives. Although our culture and Greek culture vary slightly,

both still put some value behind coffee.

 The main foods in Greek cuisine are wheat, oil, and wine. Not a lot of importance is

placed on meat, and when it is consumed it is most typically fish. This has largely to do with the

frugality of the culture. The owners were very money savvy people and always tried to find

ways to save, and I assume that is because of the way they were raised in their home country.

Having this experience has taught me how to be considerate and thoughtful of other

cultural beliefs and how to be more accepting. As we grow, we learn many different values and

we take those concepts into adulthood and often they stick with us for the long haul. As opposed

to being forceful of your own beliefs, it is important to take into consideration the other persons

way of life. As hygienists we must provide the best care possible to our patients while also

remaining respectful of the principles of a patient’s culture. We need to be sure we educate our

patients on the standard of care, but if something goes against the beliefs of a culture, we must do

our part to provide options to the individual. Our country has an abundance of cultures, so it is

imperative to treat all patients with empathy and kindness.