Cultural models of health, illness and moral reasoning are gaining increasing attention in bioethics research. Drawing on research tools from medical and cultural anthropology, many researchers are exploring cultural differences in approaches to truth-telling, informed consent, pain relief and end-of-life care planning. However, culture should not simply be equated with ethnicity. Rather, the concept of culture can serve as a heuristic tool at different levels of analysis. In addition to considering how participation in specific ethnic groups and religious traditions can shape moral reasoning, bioethicists need to consider the processes of socialisation into professional cultures, organisational cultures, national civic culture and transnational culture. From the local world of the community clinic or cancer ward to the international activities of human rights agencies, paying attention to the concept of culture can clarify how patients, family members and health professionals interpret illness, treatment and moral obligations.
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