ABSTRACT
The ever-increasingly multicultural world presents many challenges for those working with patients, families and communities. Culture is a pattern of human knowledge, belief and behaviour in a family, society or organisation. This pattern is taught to the next generation both formally and by example. The process of acculturation takes place at different speeds and to different degrees. It also influences different aspects of life to varying extents. Culture exists not only on a large scale. Individual settings also have their own cultures, which people need to be aware of and potentially may have to adapt to. Different cultures place different values and meanings on different things. For instance, some cultures value individual bravery, others community togetherness. Working in multicultural and multilingual settings can be very challenging. Often multiple cultural groups coexist in the same setting. Many communities are difficult to access given that they often live in rural areas or in sprawling informal settlements near to cities.
