HSC 380 Midterm Exam 2026: Practice
Questions & Answers | Health Equity,
Cultural Competency & Public Health Study
Guide
Description:
Preparing for your HSC 380 Midterm Exam in 2026? Our updated and comprehensive study
guide includes targeted practice questions and detailed answers on essential topics
like health disparities, systemic racism, cultural humility, trauma-informed care, and social
determinants of health. Designed for students enrolled in public health, health sciences, and
social work programs, this guide reflects the latest 2026 curriculum standards and real-world
applications.
Whether you're reviewing key theories from Sue & Sue, Ogbu, or Brave Heart, or exploring
modern frameworks like structural competency and equity-based interventions, this resource
will help you ace your exam with confidence.
Don’t just study—master the material. Download your free HSC 380 Midterm Study Guide now
and walk into your exam prepared to excel!
, HSC 380 Midterm Study Guide 2026: Cultural Competency &
Health Equity Exam Questions and Answers
1. The concept of gender is straightforward, categorizing individuals strictly as male or female.
a. True
b. False
Answer: b. False
Explanation: Gender is a multidimensional construct encompassing identity, expression, and
social roles. It extends beyond the binary of male and female and includes diverse identities such
as non-binary, genderqueer, and transgender. Health providers must understand this complexity
to deliver effective, person-centered care.
2. The U.S. healthcare system is primarily market-based but incorporates several public programs
to increase access. Which of the following lists includes key examples of these "social fixes"?
a. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Tricare, and the Indian Health Service (IHS)
b. Medicaid, Social Security, Tricare, and pharmaceutical assistance programs
c. Medicare, Medicaid, health savings accounts (HSAs), and Tricare
d. All the programs listed in option A
Answer: d. All the programs listed in option A
Explanation: The U.S. system blends private market elements with public programs designed to
cover specific populations. Medicare (for seniors/disabled), Medicaid (for low-income
individuals), Social Security (which includes disability benefits), Tricare (for military personnel
and families), and IHS (for federally recognized Tribal members) are all foundational
components of this hybrid model.
3. In sociological terms, which concept refers to a group of people who share common physical
characteristics perceived to derive from a shared ancestry?
a. Culture
b. Race
c. Ethnicity
d. Family
Answer: b. Race
Explanation: Race is a social construct used to categorize people based on perceived physical
, and biological differences, such as skin color or facial features, often linked to ideas about
common ancestry. It is distinct from ethnicity, which relates more to shared cultural practices.
4. For many Native American communities, unresolved grief stems from both historical,
intergenerational trauma and which other critical factor?
a. Intense anger at the dominant culture
b. Physical isolation from broader society
c. The systematic dismantling of traditional grieving rituals
d. A lack of educational resources
Answer: c. The systematic dismantling of traditional grieving rituals
Explanation: Beyond the collective trauma of colonization and displacement, the suppression of
cultural practices, including specific rituals for processing grief and loss, has historically
impeded healing and contributed to sustained, unresolved mourning within Native communities.
5. Which term describes a framework in which policies, practices, and cultural narratives
interconnect to perpetuate racial inequity, allowing advantages for dominant groups and
disadvantages for marginalized groups to persist across social systems?
a. Environmental Racism
b. Institutional Racism
c. Systemic Racism
d. Political Racism
Answer: c. Systemic Racism
Explanation: Systemic racism refers to the complex, interlocking systems and structures—
economic, political, social, and cultural—that generate and reinforce racial inequalities. It
highlights how racism is embedded in the fabric of society, beyond individual prejudices or
single institutions.
6. The philosophical view that moral standards are not universal but are shaped by and relative to
one's cultural and historical context is known as:
a. Diversity
b. Ethical Relativism
c. Cultural Appropriation
d. Human Rights Universalism
Answer: b. Ethical Relativism
, Explanation: Ethical relativism posits that morality is contingent on societal norms, which
evolve over time. For example, practices once widely accepted (like slavery) are now
condemned, illustrating how moral judgments can shift with cultural knowledge and values.
7. A healthcare provider who integrates an understanding of a patient's cultural background, beliefs,
and context into a collaborative care plan is demonstrating:
a. A standard patient care plan
b. Patient-centered care only
c. Cultural competency integrated with patient-centered care
d. Health literacy promotion
Answer: c. Cultural competency integrated with patient-centered care
Explanation: Effective modern practice requires both cultural competency—the ability to
understand and interact effectively with people from different cultures—and a patient-centered
approach that respects the patient as a full partner in their own care.
8. An individual who feels automatic, unexplained unease when a pilot is not a white male, despite
having diverse friendships, is most likely demonstrating:
a. Conscious racism
b. An unconscious bias
c. Systemic grouping
d. Explicit prejudice
Answer: b. An unconscious bias
Explanation: Unconscious biases are automatic, mental associations based on social stereotypes
that can influence feelings and behaviors without an individual's conscious awareness or intent,
often contradicting their conscious beliefs.
9. Understanding the historical and cultural background of a patient population is irrelevant to
improving their health outcomes.
a. True
b. False
Answer: b. False
Explanation: Historical and cultural context is critical for understanding health disparities,
building trust, and designing effective interventions. Ignoring this context can lead to
miscommunication, ineffective care, and perpetuation of inequities.
Questions & Answers | Health Equity,
Cultural Competency & Public Health Study
Guide
Description:
Preparing for your HSC 380 Midterm Exam in 2026? Our updated and comprehensive study
guide includes targeted practice questions and detailed answers on essential topics
like health disparities, systemic racism, cultural humility, trauma-informed care, and social
determinants of health. Designed for students enrolled in public health, health sciences, and
social work programs, this guide reflects the latest 2026 curriculum standards and real-world
applications.
Whether you're reviewing key theories from Sue & Sue, Ogbu, or Brave Heart, or exploring
modern frameworks like structural competency and equity-based interventions, this resource
will help you ace your exam with confidence.
Don’t just study—master the material. Download your free HSC 380 Midterm Study Guide now
and walk into your exam prepared to excel!
, HSC 380 Midterm Study Guide 2026: Cultural Competency &
Health Equity Exam Questions and Answers
1. The concept of gender is straightforward, categorizing individuals strictly as male or female.
a. True
b. False
Answer: b. False
Explanation: Gender is a multidimensional construct encompassing identity, expression, and
social roles. It extends beyond the binary of male and female and includes diverse identities such
as non-binary, genderqueer, and transgender. Health providers must understand this complexity
to deliver effective, person-centered care.
2. The U.S. healthcare system is primarily market-based but incorporates several public programs
to increase access. Which of the following lists includes key examples of these "social fixes"?
a. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Tricare, and the Indian Health Service (IHS)
b. Medicaid, Social Security, Tricare, and pharmaceutical assistance programs
c. Medicare, Medicaid, health savings accounts (HSAs), and Tricare
d. All the programs listed in option A
Answer: d. All the programs listed in option A
Explanation: The U.S. system blends private market elements with public programs designed to
cover specific populations. Medicare (for seniors/disabled), Medicaid (for low-income
individuals), Social Security (which includes disability benefits), Tricare (for military personnel
and families), and IHS (for federally recognized Tribal members) are all foundational
components of this hybrid model.
3. In sociological terms, which concept refers to a group of people who share common physical
characteristics perceived to derive from a shared ancestry?
a. Culture
b. Race
c. Ethnicity
d. Family
Answer: b. Race
Explanation: Race is a social construct used to categorize people based on perceived physical
, and biological differences, such as skin color or facial features, often linked to ideas about
common ancestry. It is distinct from ethnicity, which relates more to shared cultural practices.
4. For many Native American communities, unresolved grief stems from both historical,
intergenerational trauma and which other critical factor?
a. Intense anger at the dominant culture
b. Physical isolation from broader society
c. The systematic dismantling of traditional grieving rituals
d. A lack of educational resources
Answer: c. The systematic dismantling of traditional grieving rituals
Explanation: Beyond the collective trauma of colonization and displacement, the suppression of
cultural practices, including specific rituals for processing grief and loss, has historically
impeded healing and contributed to sustained, unresolved mourning within Native communities.
5. Which term describes a framework in which policies, practices, and cultural narratives
interconnect to perpetuate racial inequity, allowing advantages for dominant groups and
disadvantages for marginalized groups to persist across social systems?
a. Environmental Racism
b. Institutional Racism
c. Systemic Racism
d. Political Racism
Answer: c. Systemic Racism
Explanation: Systemic racism refers to the complex, interlocking systems and structures—
economic, political, social, and cultural—that generate and reinforce racial inequalities. It
highlights how racism is embedded in the fabric of society, beyond individual prejudices or
single institutions.
6. The philosophical view that moral standards are not universal but are shaped by and relative to
one's cultural and historical context is known as:
a. Diversity
b. Ethical Relativism
c. Cultural Appropriation
d. Human Rights Universalism
Answer: b. Ethical Relativism
, Explanation: Ethical relativism posits that morality is contingent on societal norms, which
evolve over time. For example, practices once widely accepted (like slavery) are now
condemned, illustrating how moral judgments can shift with cultural knowledge and values.
7. A healthcare provider who integrates an understanding of a patient's cultural background, beliefs,
and context into a collaborative care plan is demonstrating:
a. A standard patient care plan
b. Patient-centered care only
c. Cultural competency integrated with patient-centered care
d. Health literacy promotion
Answer: c. Cultural competency integrated with patient-centered care
Explanation: Effective modern practice requires both cultural competency—the ability to
understand and interact effectively with people from different cultures—and a patient-centered
approach that respects the patient as a full partner in their own care.
8. An individual who feels automatic, unexplained unease when a pilot is not a white male, despite
having diverse friendships, is most likely demonstrating:
a. Conscious racism
b. An unconscious bias
c. Systemic grouping
d. Explicit prejudice
Answer: b. An unconscious bias
Explanation: Unconscious biases are automatic, mental associations based on social stereotypes
that can influence feelings and behaviors without an individual's conscious awareness or intent,
often contradicting their conscious beliefs.
9. Understanding the historical and cultural background of a patient population is irrelevant to
improving their health outcomes.
a. True
b. False
Answer: b. False
Explanation: Historical and cultural context is critical for understanding health disparities,
building trust, and designing effective interventions. Ignoring this context can lead to
miscommunication, ineffective care, and perpetuation of inequities.
