The Contribution of Language in Shaping Clinical Culture: Palestinian Aphasics and Families Living in Israel

Abstract

Abstract This article explores the ways that one's language and culture shapes the expectations and clinical recovery of individuals with aphasia and the expectations and reactions of their families. Employing interview data from five Jewish individuals with aphasia, five Palestinian individuals with aphasia, and six caregivers, phenomenological analyses were performed to determine the extent to which cultural elements contribute to the shaping of treatment perspectives. Careful analysis demonstrated that the specific cultural values and traditions of an individual with aphasia and his or her family, as manifested in one's lexicon, idiomatic usage, and metaphoric language, greatly impacts the social construction of one's recovery from aphasia.