Mr. Marios Stavrakis is a 49-year-old Greek who arrived in New York from Crete at the age of 21. After working very hard going different jobs for a number of years he saved enough money with which he started a business with his best friend Mr. Soteris Ioannou, who is also his sons godfather. As the business grew the partners spent less time with each other since each one had separate responsibilities within the company. About a year ago Mr. Stavrakis developed signs of depression.His wife noticed that he was worried about something, was frequently anxious, and at the same time appeared to have less energy and vitality than usual. When he started neglecting the business he so much loved and had worked so hard to make successful, his wife insisted that he see a doctor. Mr. Stavrakis was prescribed antidepressants but took the medication infrequently and then he stopped it all together. His condition deteriorated and he began to obsessively talk about
philotimo. When he eventually saw a psychiatrist he explained that he discovered that his best friend and business partner was making deals behind his back and that he was embezzling money from the company. He had suspected this some time ago but did not want to report his best friend to the police while at the same time he could not deal with his anger and disappointment as he felt totally betrayed by a man whom he trusted.
1.
How has the belief about the importance of philotimo influenced the behavior of Mr. Stavrakis?
2.
Why was Mr. Stavrakis reluctant to report his friend to the police? What cultural values influenced his actions?
3.
Why did he not seek medical help and why was he eventually persuaded by his wife to see a doctor?
Transcultural Health Care. A Culturally Competent Approach (4th ed.)
Purnell, L.D.
Publisher: F.A. Davis Company; 4th edition
