Author(s)

Thobeka S. Nkomo

Department of Social Work, The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

Background: Socio-cultural beliefs play a significant role in healthcare as they influence perceptions of health and illness for both the client and the healthcare provider. These beliefs may influence the need to use a variety of health care providers. By understanding the belief system of patients, clinical social workers can effectively meet the needs of the hospital patients. The aim of this paper was to explore the role of patients’ socio-cultural beliefs in a healthcare setting. Methodology: By means of an exploratory investigation with 24 patients at an academic hospital in Gauteng, this paper identifies some beliefs that patients bring with them into the healthcare institution. Herskovits in-depth relativist approach was used to analyze the data. This paper examines how beliefs contradict, enhance or complement clients’ experiences of health care within a hospital setting. The results illustrate that African traditional and cultural beliefs were reported to be affordable and enable people to connect with their ancestral spirits. Close relatives and traditional healers played an important role during illness and recovery. It is recommended that social workers should always engage with patients and other members of multi-disciplinary team for a holistic patient care approach. Social workers should communicate to holistically understand their patients.

Culture, Gauteng, Socio-Cultural Beliefs, Social Work, Healthcare

Nkomo, T. (2017) The Influence of Socio-Cultural Beliefs in Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (Chbah): A Social Work Perspective. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 5, 46-59. doi: 10.4236/jss.2017.58004.