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Communication and Counseling Tips

Jamaica is a low context country. They values words that are being spoken and what people say. They speak straightforward and They also look at nonverbal cues and focus on the who is speaking. When counseling, it is important not to lose their attention. They have a very low rate of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that they would be more willing to try new things. They value masculinity rather than femininity. They are more assertive and competitive. They are more concerned with group efforts than individuality. The gap between the rich and the poor is low. They all view each other as equal. They value politeness and chivalry. Women serve the men and children respect their elders. They practice a mix between traditional and biomedical healing. They believe that illness is caused by spiritual taboos. When spiritual healing fails, they resort to medical treatment. These things should always be taken into consideration when counseling a client from this decent.

Health Statistics

Population: 90% African American
Life Expectancy at Birth (years): Male: 70; Female: 75
Births per 1,000 Population: 17
Deaths per 1,000 Population: 6
Infant Deaths per 1,000 Live Births: 24
HIV/AIDS Among Adult Population 2005-2006: 1.5%
Underweight Children Less than 5 years: 3%
Infants with Low Birthweight: 12%
Early initiation of Breastfeeding: 62%
1-year-old Children Immunized Against DPT: 88%
Population living below poverty line (2007): 9.9%
United States population living below poverty line (2004): 14.0%