Culture is broadly defined as a common heritage or set of beliefs, norms, and values. It refers to the shared, and largely learned, attributes of a group of people.  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1999) Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: Author.

Culture Shock is a form of anxiety that results from an inability to predict the behavior of others, or act appropriately in a cross-cultural situation.  Retrieved January 13, 2006, from http://www.med.umich.edu/multicultural/ccp/basic.htm#gen

Culture Bound Syndrome denotes recurrent, locality-specific patterns of aberrant behavior and troubling experience that may or may not be linked to a particular DSM-IV diagnostic category. Many of these patterns are indigenously considered to be “illness”, or at least afflictions, and most have local names. Although presentation conforming to the major DSM-IV categories can be found throughout the world, the particular symptoms, course, and social response are very often influenced by specific societies or culture areas and are localized, folk, diagnostic categories that frame coherent meanings for certain repetitive, patterned, and troubling sets of experiences and observations.  (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition –Text Revision, Appendix I)

Cultural Brokers are persons who act as a go-between to bridge the gap between the person seeking services and the health care provider.  Retrieved January 19, 2006, from http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/monographs/cb.pdf

Cultural Competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professional and enables this system, agency or those professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. Competence implies having the capacity to function effectively as an individual and an organization within the context of the cultural beliefs, behaviors, and needs presented by consumers and their communities.  (Cross, et. al., 1989)

Ethnicity refers to a common heritage shared by a particular group. Zennar, W. (1996). Ethnicity. In D. Levinson & M. Ember (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology (pp. 393-395). New York: Holt.

Generalization a starting point. When generalizing, one begins with an assumption about a group but then seeks further information about whether the assumption fits that individual. Retrieved January 13, 2006, from http://www.med.umich.edu/multicultural/ccp/basic.htm#gen

Linguistic Competence is the capacity of an organization to communicate effectively, and convey information in a manner that is easily understood by diverse audiences including persons of limited English proficiency, those who have low literacy skills or are not literate, and individuals with disabilities. Linguistic competency requires organizational and provider capacity to respond effectively to the health literacy needs of populations served.   Retrieved January 13, 2006, from National Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development Washington, DC) http://www3.georgetown.edu/research/gucchd/nccc/index.html

Race is thought of by most people as a biological category – as a way to divide and label different groups according to a set of common biological traits. However, “race” is not a biological category, but it does have meaning as a social category. Different cultures classify people into racial groups according to a set of characteristics that are socially significant.  (Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity: Supplement to Mental Health: Report to the Surgeon General (2001)

Stereotype an ending point. When stereotyping, one makes an assumption about a person based on group membership without learning whether or not that individual fits the assumption.   Retrieved January 13, 2006, from http://www.med.umich.edu/multicultural/ccp/basic.htm#gen