COVER STORY / CULTURAL IMMERSION
gestures to emphasize points” when
clarifying difficult questions.
In Botswana, Dr. Carpenter’s patients
taught her that pain can be described
differently from culture to culture. “In
English,” she explains, “we ‘feel’ our pain
and describe an injury using those types
of verbs. In Setswana (the language used
in Botswana), patients describe their pain
However, this is not a unique cultural trait.
Canadian patients also find it challenging
to describe pain and clinicians learn to read
between the lines and prompt responses
as necessary. Dr. Eberspaecher finds it
important to ask, “Is this a true cultural
difference or is it a communication barrier
in disguise?”
“
There is nothing like the mandatory
use of sign language overseas to make
one appreciate the importance of
incremental introduction of novel
information.”
Dr. Claude Bourassa
through verbs related to hearing.” Even her
English-speaking patients would describe
their pain by saying, “I can hear it.” This
description of ‘hearing’ pain is connected
with local practices of funerals, grief and
mourning through singing and music.
Small language barriers such as this served
as opportunities to learn more about the
patient’s culture.
While some language barriers can
indeed be informative about a patient’s
perspective, Dr. Eberspaecher reminds
us not to overgeneralize individual
characteristics to a larger group. “Here in
the Dominican,” he says, “