**1. Introduction**

What is culture? It is a complex term whose concept varies greatly, carrying different meanings depending on the social context and population in which it is applied. However, despite its more than 160 definitions, the definition by Edward Taylor in 1871 has enjoyed the most widespread global acceptability.

*"Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and other capabilities acquired by man as a member of the society."* [1]

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cultural anthropologist Kenneth Guest provided an effective and useful framework of culture when he stated "culture is a system of knowledge, beliefs, patterns of behavior, artifacts, and institutions that are created, learned, and shared by a group of people*"* [2].

**2.7. Laws**

**2.8. Values**

for common good.

**2.9. Material life**

dressing, art, books, etc.

**2.10. Universal culture**

adulthood, and old age [3].

**3. Culture and health**

priateness vary widely [4].

be able to

importantly;

value system which guides societal life.

These are norms which are formally coded and enforced by recognized authorities. They tend to include societal mores. Laws cut across all norms, and deviations from them threaten the corporate existence of the society. Thus, society empowers law enforcement agencies who act

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These are important elements of the culture of a society which determines what principles it considers as essential to its well-being and survival. It will usually include important ideals such as freedom, justice, the rule of law, due process, and ceremonies. These ideals form a

This is the visible, tangible component of a society's way of life. Examples include buildings,

There are aspects of culture which have been found to be acceptable to all human societies no matter their origin or location. These components are thus universally acceptable across the world. Some examples include the recognition of gender, age groups in form of childhood,

It is a proven fact that health programs and interventions are more effective when they are "culturally appropriate" for the populations they serve. To effectively and efficiently provide medical care to patients, the impact that culture has on health care must be understood and taken into consideration. In practice, however, the strategies used to achieve cultural appro-

To provide programs and materials that are culturally appropriate, healthcare providers must

• understand how each aspect of their culture relates to health behavior, and most

• apply this knowledge in the conceptualization, design, planning, and implementation of

Each medical encounter provides the opportunity for the interface of several different cultures: the culture of the patient, the culture of the healthcare provider (e.g., the physician),

• identify and describe cultures and/or subcultures within a given population;

activities which bring health care to the people.

Culture comprises generally acceptable ways of doing things common to a people which is transmitted from generation to generation. It is a people's way of life, an embodiment of their identity.
