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Breaking bad news is a challenge in medicine. It requires good communication skills, understanding, and empathy on the part of a clinician. Communication has both verbal and non-verbal components. The requirement for non-verbal communication varies with various diverse groups, depending upon their cultural and religious beliefs. Breaking bad news in an ethnically diverse group is complex where cultural, religious, and language barriers may exist. The National Health Service was established in 1948. Ethnic minority comprised of only 0.2% (53,000) of the total population. The health care professionals shared the same cultural backgrounds as their patients at that time. Census in 2011 indicates that the number of the ethnically diverse group has increased to 14% (2 million) in England and Wales. Eighty-six percent of the population was white British. Asians (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, and other) \"groups\" made up 7.5% of the population; black groups 3.4%; Chinese groups 0.7%; Arab groups 0.4%; and other groups 0.6%. This figure is expected to increase by 20%-30% in 2050. It is, therefore, important that a doctor working within the National Health Service in the UK, should be prepared to deal with patients who may have a different culture, faith, language, and set of beliefs. In this article, I have highlighted the various challenges/issues in communication with such patients, available resources, and recommendations of strategies to improve their care. Unfortunately, no one single strategy can be applied to all as each patient should be recognized individually and as such, different factors have different weightings on each consultation. It is, therefore, important that hospitals raise cultural and religious awareness so that the doctors can be more understanding toward their patients. This will not only improve the patient's experience, medical staff would also feel professionally satisfied.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role that language translation can play in disaster prevention and management and to make the case for increased attention to language translation in crisis communication. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on literature relating to disaster management to suggest that translation is a perennial issue in crisis communication. Findings Although communication with multicultural and multilinguistic communities is seen as being in urgent need of attention, the authors find that the role of translation in enabling this is underestimated, if not unrecognized. Originality/value This paper raises awareness of the need for urgent attention to be given by scholars and practitioners to the role of translation in crisis communication.

Women’s participation in local government is a key indicator of democratization and gender equality in modern societies. In the Arab society in Israel, this issue highlights tensions between tradition and modernity, communal values and individual aspirations, and social constraints and equal citizenship rights. This paper explores the enduring underrepresentation of Arab women in local authorities, the barriers hindering their political participation, and the social and cultural dynamics shaping their status, while comparing their representation to that of Jewish women. Despite substantial transformations in recent decades—including a significant rise in educational attainment, increased participation in the labor market, and processes of personal and social empowerment—these achievements have not translated into meaningful political representation. As of 2025, no Arab woman serves as a mayor of a local authority, and Arab women constitute only about 2% of the members of Arab local councils. This gap results from a combination of social, cultural, and institutional barriers, including deep-rooted patriarchal norms, the absence of affirmative action measures, a lack of community support mechanisms, and the impact of violence within Arab society on the public sphere. Despite these challenges, a gradual trend of change is evident, reflected in the growing number of Arab women serving as council members and in community initiatives aimed at promoting and strengthening their political involvement. The paper argues that expanding the representation of Arab women in local government is essential for advancing gender equality, empowering the Arab society in Israel, and contributing to Israeli society as a whole. It further outlines possible measures to increase the representation of Arab women in local government in Israel.

Although the history of adopting the Western Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) concept in China spans less than 20 years, the core principles of CSR are not new and can be legitimately interpreted within traditional Chinese culture. We find that the Western CSR concepts do not adapt well to the Chinese market, because they have rarely defined the primary reason for CSR well, and the etic approach to CSR concepts does not take the Chinese reality and culture into consideration. This article resolves these problems and contributes a new definition of CSR, called here – the Harmony Approach to CSR. Simply, the Chinese harmony approach to CSR means 'respecting nature and loving people'. It is the first time CSR has been defined in relation to Confucian interpersonal harmony and Taoist harmony between man and nature. Conceptually, this definition will broaden our understanding and will fit the characteristics of the Chinese market better. The idea of incorporating cultural contexts into CSR concepts could also contribute to future CSR studies. In business practice, it will help corporations to adopt CSR on their own initiative. The proposed virtues of traditional Chinese wisdom, in particular, will guide corporations to a new way of improving their CSR performance.

This study examines the experiences of international students at The University of Toledo, where international students comprise approximately 10% of the student population. It highlights problems international students experience such as adapting to a new culture, English language problems, financial problems and lack of understanding from the broader University community. Recommendations for improvement include initiatives to raise the profile of international students, improved financial assistance and scholarships, and creating opportunities for international students to improve their spoken English skills.

Recently resettled refugee populations may be at greater risk for exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a virus that causes coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), and face unique challenges in following recommendations to protect their health. Several factors place resettled refugees at elevated risk for exposure to persons with COVID-19 or increased severity of COVID-19: being more likely to experience poverty and live in crowded housing, being employed in less protected, service-sector jobs, experiencing language and health care access barriers, and having higher rates of co-morbidities. In preparing for and managing COVID-19, resettled refugees encounter similar barriers to those of other racial or ethnic minority populations, which may then be exacerbated by unique barriers experienced from being a refugee. Key recommendations for resettlement and healthcare providers include analyzing sociodemographic data about refugee patients, documenting and resolving barriers faced by refugees, developing refugee-specific outreach plans, using culturally and linguistically appropriate resources, ensuring medical interpretation availability, and leveraging virtual platforms along with nontraditional community partners to disseminate COVID-19 messaging.

This paper uses a unique set of new indicators enabling us to test the effects of cultural barriers on migration between OECD countries. Using data on migration flows between 22 OECD countries over the period 1990–2003, we find strong evidence for the negative effect of cultural differences on international migration flows. Cultural barriers do a much better job in explaining the pattern of migration flows between developed countries than traditional economic variables such as income and unemployment differentials.

In the present article, we extend the notion of cultural threat posed by immigrants beyond its current conceptualization as symbolic, collective-level threats to American culture and identity. Instead, we argue that routine encounters with non-English-speaking immigrants cause many individuals to feel threatened because of real barriers to interpersonal communication and exchange. We draw upon survey and experimental data to demonstrate that local contact with immigrants who speak little to no English, as well as incidental exposure to the Spanish language, heighten feelings of cultural threat, which increases anti-immigrant sentiment and policy preferences.

Nowadays, cultural institutions face the challenge of answering the requirements of a very diverse audience in order to be more socially inclusive, enabling everyone to have access to their cultural content. However, there are different barriers to participation in culture and unequal access to cultural contents of a large number of sensitive social groups, preventing them from having a meaningful experience. This particularly refers to groups facing the risk of cultural exclusion such as parents with children, the elderly, and people with disabilities (impaired sight, hearing, and immobile people). In economically less developed countries such as Serbia, this issue is even more pronounced, as investments in cultural institutions and activities regarding audience research are very low. Moreover, the existing literature on this field is scarce regarding studies involving sensitive groups. Thus, the primary aim of this research is to explore the perception of different groups facing the risk of cultural exclusion in Vojvodina province (Serbia) regarding their major barriers to cultural participation, factors influencing their cultural participation, and their cultural habits but also their perception of accessibility of particular cultural institutions. The survey research, conducted from June to October 2022, included a total of 412 respondents, representatives of the mentioned groups of audience. The main results indicate significant differences between analyzed groups regarding all analyzed issues. Differences and implications for audience development strategies are further discussed in the paper.

Background Maternal and child health among tribal populations in Odisha, India, is significantly influenced by socio-economic, cultural, and infrastructural factors. Cultural practices, reliance on traditional medicine, and limited awareness of modern healthcare benefits shape health-seeking behavior. This scoping review synthesises evidence on health-seeking behaviour, healthcare utilisation, awareness of healthcare services, government policies, and barriers in tribal communities in Odisha, India. Methods This scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. We followed the Arksey and O’Malley methodological framework and applied the PAGER framework (Patterns, Advances, Gaps, Evidence for Practice, Research Recommendations) for quality of reporting. Studies were identified through systematic searches of international and Indian databases, Indian journal websites, organisational websites, repositories, and registries, focusing on health-seeking behaviour and healthcare utilisation among Odisha’s tribal communities. Only English-language articles published between January 2011 and July 2024 were included. The methodological quality of the selected studies was independently assessed by two reviewers using the JBI Quality Assessment Checklist. Results A total of 39 studies, encompassing 36,613 participants, were included in the review. The findings highlight significant barriers to healthcare access among tribal communities, including poverty, illiteracy, cultural practices, geographic isolation, distance to healthcare centres, transportation availability and mistrust of government services. While some tribes have shown progress in adopting modern healthcare services, many continue to rely on traditional medicine and indigenous practices. Socio-cultural factors, such as patriarchal norms and religious rituals, further influence healthcare-seeking behavior. Government initiatives like the National Rural Health Mission and the Integrated Child Development Services have had some success in improving healthcare utilisation among tribal populations. However, strengthening community support, conducting village-level awareness campaigns, and implementing targeted educational interventions can play a transformative role in enhancing healthcare access and overall well-being. Conclusion Improving maternal and child health in Odisha’s tribal populations requires culturally sensitive approaches integrated with modern healthcare strategies. Enhancing awareness, infrastructure, and community health workers’ roles can bridge access gaps while respecting tribal traditions.