The stereotypical fallacy: A comparison of Anglo and Chinese Australians' thoughts about facing death

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Abstract
This study uses a community sample to compare Anglo and Chinese Australians' thoughts about three dimensions of facing terminal illness and death. The results conform to the anecdotal expectation that Anglo Australians are more likely to favour living wills, euthanasia and truth-telling about having a terminal illness than are Chinese Australians. These findings have relevance for health professionals, particularly those who are concerned with providing culturally sensitive care to severely and terminally ill people and their families and loved ones. More broadly, the implications of this study propose the problematic nature of health care within a multicultural society. While there is a necessity for awareness of ethnic variation, particularly in the sensitive area of dying and death, there is also individual variation within different cultures. This paper, then, makes the important point that there is a danger involved in making the stereotypical fallacy and treating all Anglo Australians one way and all Chinese Australians another. We conclude, therefore, that health and palliative care practitioners need to be aware of cultural differences, but sensitive to individual nuances.

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