HCI 313 Module 3 Cultural Views Presentation: Curanderismo Example

Reviewed by Emmett Rockwell, MBA Arizona State University Updated October 2026

This HCI 313 Module 3 sample is the Cultural Views Presentation from HCI 313, ASU's course on the philosophy of science in health care for Health Innovation students. Worth 10 points, the ASU HCI 313 presentation asks students to research one culture's perception of health and illness, covering who the people are, how they define health and illness, what they believe causes disease, how they maintain health and treat illness and how Western providers can respect those beliefs. The composite student, who grew up in Tucson, presents curanderismo, traditional Mexican and Mexican American healing, in nine slides with notes on healers, folk illnesses, remedies and culturally competent care.

CourseHCI 313 Philosophy of Science in Health Care Understanding Paradigms of Health and Healing
ModuleModule 3
Paper typeCultural views presentation
LengthAbout 458 words, 4 pages
FormatAPA 7 slide deck with speaker notes
SchoolArizona State University
ProgramBS in Health Innovation
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for HCI 313 Module 3

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Body, Soul and Community: Curanderismo and the Mexican American View of Health and Illness

Student Name

BS in Health Innovation, Arizona State University

HCI 313: Philosophy of Science in Health Care: Understanding Paradigms of Health and Healing

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

What this page is doingThe title names the three dimensions curanderismo treats together.
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Slide 1: Body, Soul and Community

Curanderismo: traditional healing among Mexicans and Mexican Americans.

Speaker notes: Curanderismo comes from the Spanish word curar, to heal. I chose it because my grandmother sent us to a señora for herbs and limpias, and our family also saw doctors at the clinic.

Slide 2: Who Uses It

Mexican and Mexican American families across the Southwest, including Arizona. Use ranges widely; some estimates in parts of the United States reach 50% to 75%.

Speaker notes: A review of the literature reports that use of traditional healing among Mexicans and Mexican Americans may be as high as 50% to 75% in some parts of the country (Tafur et al., 2009).

Slide 3: Health and Illness

Health is balance among body, mind, spirit and social relationships. Illness can be natural or supernatural, physical or emotional.

Speaker notes: The tradition grew from Indigenous, Spanish and African roots and views illness as having social, spiritual and physical causes, so healing must address all of them (Lopez, 2005).

Slide 4: Folk Illnesses

Susto: fright that causes the soul to leave the body. Empacho: blockage of the digestive tract. Mal de ojo: illness from a strong gaze, often in children. Caída de mollera: fallen fontanelle in infants.

Speaker notes: Some folk illnesses overlap with biomedical conditions. Caída de mollera, for example, may describe dehydration in an infant, which needs urgent medical care.

Slide 5: Healers

Curanderos and curanderas. Yerberos, herbalists. Sobadores, who treat by massage. Parteras, midwives.

Speaker notes: Healers often specialize, and many work part-time within their community, charging little or accepting donations (Trotter & Chavira, 1997).

Slide 6: Remedies and Rituals

Herbal teas such as manzanilla and yerba buena. Limpias, ritual cleansings with eggs or herbs. Prayer and candles. Massage for empacho.

Speaker notes: Many remedies are harmless and comforting, but some, such as certain lead-containing powders used for empacho, can be dangerous.

Slide 7: Still Strong Today

Even highly assimilated Mexican American women in one study held traditional beliefs and used folk practitioners alongside clinics.

Speaker notes: In a study of 70 Mexican American women, traditional beliefs and practices persisted even among highly assimilated participants (Lopez, 2005).

Slide 8: Respectful Care

Ask: "Have you or your family used any home or traditional remedies?" Listen without judgment. Ask about specific herbs and powders. Involve family. Use interpreters. Explain biomedical treatment in terms of balance.

Speaker notes: Patients rarely volunteer folk remedies unless asked, so a nonjudgmental question opens the door. Clinicians can support harmless practices while warning about dangerous ones.

Slide 9: Reflection

Two systems, one family. Respect builds trust; trust improves care.

Speaker notes: My family never saw a conflict between the clinic and the señora. Providers who understand that will earn more trust from patients like my grandmother.

References

Lopez, R. A. (2005). Use of alternative folk medicine by Mexican American women. Journal of Immigrant Health, 7(1), 23-31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-005-1387-8

Tafur, M. M., Crowe, T. K., & Torres, E. (2009). A review of curanderismo and healing practices among Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Occupational Therapy International, 16(1), 82-88. https://doi.org/10.1002/oti.265

Trotter, R. T., II, & Chavira, J. A. (1997). Curanderismo: Mexican American folk healing (2nd ed.). University of Georgia Press.

What the HCI 313 Module 3 instructions ask for

The Cultural Views Presentation in HCI 313 is worth 10 points and appears in Module 3 as the research project on cultural perceptions of healing and illness. Research the beliefs and practices of a chosen culture or population and present its perception of health and illness. The syllabus asks you to address the population's demographics, its definitions of health and illness, its beliefs about what causes disease, its traditions and practices for maintaining health and treating or preventing disease, and how health care providers can show respect for these beliefs while practicing cultural competency in the Western system. Follow the format your instructor posts in Canvas, and cite sources on your slides or in a reference slide. Plan a slide for each required element before designing anything, and cite sources on every content slide.

Inside the HCI 313 Module 3 example

The sample's nine slides follow the syllabus elements in order: who uses curanderismo, how it defines health and illness, common folk illnesses, types of healers, remedies and rituals, evidence that the tradition persists and how providers can give respectful care. Speaker notes carry the citations and connect the student's own family experience to published research, and a short reflection closes the presentation. Each slide covers one syllabus element, and the notes explain terms such as susto and empacho rather than leaving them as labels. The final slide reflects on the student's own family, which ties the research to lived experience.

Reading the HCI 313 Module 3 grading rubric

The presentation is worth 10 points. Readers look for coverage of every element the syllabus lists, accurate and respectful information drawn from credible sources, attention to safety where traditional and biomedical practices meet and practical suggestions for culturally competent care. Marks drop for stereotypes, for slides that list practices without explaining their meaning, for missing the provider-respect element and for uncited claims. Strong presentations also balance respect with safety, noting where a traditional remedy could cause harm without dismissing the tradition as a whole. Citations in the notes show the research behind each claim. Respectful language throughout matters as much as accuracy.

HCI 313 Module 3 help from the desk

Pick a culture you can research thoroughly, ideally with sources written by or with its members. Make one slide for each element the syllabus requires. Include at least one practical tip for providers. Flag any practice that could be harmful, respectfully. Keep slides short and put explanation in notes. If you are unsure your sources are reliable, the desk can help evaluate them. Ask someone from the culture you chose to review your slides if possible. Limit each slide to a handful of words, then rehearse the notes out loud. Define each term in a culture's own language on first use. Bring a short list of terms with definitions in case classmates ask.

Write yours, or have the desk draft it

This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

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HCI 313 Module 3 questions, answered

Where can I find a free HCI 313 Module 3 sample paper?

The full nine-slide presentation on curanderismo and Mexican American views of health is on this page.

What is curanderismo?

Traditional healing among Mexicans and Mexican Americans that treats body, mind, spirit and social relationships.

What is susto?

A folk illness of fright, believed to cause the soul to leave the body.

What must the HCI 313 cultural presentation cover?

Demographics, definitions of health and illness, beliefs about causes, practices and how providers can show respect.

How should providers ask about folk remedies?

With an open, nonjudgmental question about home or traditional remedies, followed by questions about specific products.