Critical reflections on culture in nursing.

The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of a view of culture as a sociopolitical construction, and to explore implications for incorporating this view into U.S. nursing education and practice. Current definitions of culture, cultural diversity, and cultural competence are examined to highlight ways in which a traditional, essentialist view is reflected. Examples of an alternative, constructivist view are provided through discussion and in a series of questions. These questions serve as the basis for considering new approaches in U.S. nursing education and health care based on view of culture as a dynamic and ever-changing sociopolitical construction.