ABSTRACT
A view of health behavior theory from the perspective of language and cultural practices proposes that key constructs are emergent rather than prefabricated; that more than being brought to the change, they are built, negotiated, and reconstituted within the process of change itself. Relational culture, social capital, and transculturation and transmigration are all actualized through language and cultural practices – bundles of activities involving both linguistic resources and cultural perspectives. The perspective of language and cultural practices raises important questions and provides unique insights into the roles, role patterns, and voices that emerge in medical encounters. The perspective of language and cultural practice sheds new light on the tensions that emerge in ethical practice in interpreting. The culture-centered approach, then, treats cultural values and beliefs not as irritants to communication but instead as the expression of agency that animates voice, dialogue, and mutual understanding within the context of mediating social structure.
