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Mr Fresalem sends his pregnant wife to hospital as she is suffering from an early rupture of the membranes. She has to be hospitalised because of the danger of infection. Mrs and Mr Fresalem originate from Eritrea and they moved into a 4-room apartment near Zurich a few months ago. They have three little children who are 2, 4 and 6 years old. They live a very traditional Eritrean way of life in Switzerland.

Because of daily blood withdrawal and monitoring of Mrs Fresalem, the midwife informs the couple that she has to stay a few days more in hospital. Mrs Fresalem agrees whereas Mr Fresalem is very angry and aggressively shouts at the responsible midwife. He disagrees with his wife’s extended stay at the hospital.

What are possible explanations for Mr Fresalem’s reaction?

Please select the alternative(s) which best explain(s) his reaction

1.Mr and Mrs Fresalem are concerned about the high hospitalisation fee.

2.Mr Fresalem is unable to cope with caring for the children and doing the housekeeping. Usually Mrs Fresalem is responsible for looking after the children and the household.

3.Mr Fresalem does not want his wife looked after by male health care providers. He is afraid to run the risk, as it is possible that male health care providers work on a gynaecological ward.

4.Mr Fresalem prefers self-medication or traditional medicine.

Analysis

1.This is a possible explanation, yet there is no evidence in the critical incident. It is possible that there are monetary concerns as the couple has recently moved to Switzerland and they do not know exactly how health insurance coverage works. However, it is not indicated that this is their problem. Eritrea is mainly a communitarian culture (Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 2012). According to Habtom and Ruys (2007), social networks are the foundation for the traditional Eritrean community. Many families in Eritrea cope with financial hardship including health care financing through informal traditional risk-sharing arrangements between individuals within the community. The Eritreans seldom rely on insurance schemes or other publicly managed programs. Please look further for a better explanation.

2.This is the most likely explanation for Mr Fresalem’s behaviour. A masculine society displays clearer emotional gender roles than a feminine society (Hofstede et al, 2010). In a masculine society, «men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success, whereas women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life.» Conversely, in a feminine society, «both men and women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life» (Hofstede et al., 2010, p. 140). Eritrea tends to be a masculine society with a clear distinction in terms of gender roles. Traditionally, Eritrean women learn to do the housekeeping and are responsible for the upbringing of the children (Habtom & Ruys, 2007). Men, on the other hand, are considered the breadwinners and the heads of the family. Therefore, Mr Fresalem wants to have her back home as soon as possible.

The responsible midwife may suggest to the couple that they should seek help from their local Eritrean network. Mr Fresalem would possibly allow his wife to be hospitalised if there were someone to take care of the children while he is working.

3.This alternative is unlikely. Gender compliance between health care provider and patients is considered important by many Eritreans (Habtom & Ruys, 2007). It is unlikely that a large hospital in Zurich cannot accommodate their request to provide female health care staff. Please choose again.

4.This alternative is unlikely. There is no indication in the critical incident. Traditionally, most Eritreans do not seek medical treatment for mild illnesses (Habtom & Ruys, 2007). Eritreans usually treat themselves using traditional medicine or by seeking care from traditional practitioners. Mr Fresalem might perceive his wife’s condition as not serious enough to be hospitalised. Please select again.