The effect of stereotypes and prejudices regarding gender roles on the relation between nurses and "Muslim fathers" in health institutions within the Community of Madrid (Spain)

Abstract

Modern Western societies are characterized by a considerable cultural and ethnic diversity whereby different groups and minorities live side by side. However, not all people are viewed in the same light by the autochthonous population. This is particularly true in the case of Muslim immigrants, who are often prone to negative stereotyping and prejudice. This has become increasingly apparent since the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and the subsequent attacks in various Western countries. This study seeks to analyze the relation between female nurses and those labeled by nurses as “Muslim fathers”, as part of a research project on the care of immigrant children in Madrid (Spain). The findings promote reflection on the effects of nurses’ stereotypes and prejudices regarding the gender roles of “Muslim fathers” and the relations between these groups. These prejudices can lead to situations of cultural imposition and/or discrimination. Self-reflection regarding stereotypes and prejudices is necessary in order to provide culturally competent care. The anthropobiological approach by Marie Françoise Collière may be useful for extending this type of care universally, not only to immigrant groups, as everyone, including nurses, patients and family members, belong to part of a specific sociocultural context