Postmodernism, Feminism and Social Science - Essay Example

INTERPRETIVISM AND FEMINISM TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction………………………………………………………….4 Feminism, Interpretivism and Nursing…………………………….4 Interpretivism………………………………………………………..4 Impact of Interpretivism and Feminism Nursing Homes………...5 Source of Knowledge………………………………………………..6 The Model of Intuitive Practice in Nursing………………………..6 Personal Knowledge in Nursing…………………………………….7 Conclusion……………………………………………………………7 References……………………………………………………………8 Abstract This module explores philosophical issues critical to understanding the social sciences. Issues explored include the nature of natural science, social science, human science, the influence of values and context on facts in the social sciences; and whether the perturbations caused by for example postmodernism and feminism affect the way that social science is (or should be) carried out. . In the paper we will discuss how the social theories of interpretivism and feminism are important for research in nursing in home care and nursing homes. Introduction In 2002, social epistemology found gender was not only an important social category but it could not be studied in isolation from the other social categories such as sexuality, class and race. Nursing and healthcare industry has to face a number of problems of different social aspects of different cultures, race and backgrounds and to provide proper care, nurses should be able to give five dimensions of healthcare - social, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical care (Beck et. al, 1998). Generally, holistic and individual care to patients is required which is studied by the staff and nurses, when they are exposed to the lives of patients. Feminism, Interpretivism and Nursing Feminist is the way which helps women to know things and it gained support in the year 1980. “Women’s way of knowing” was the book which argued women have intuitive understanding. Sandra Harding explained about the contribution of feminism and increasing presence of women in the field of feminist sciences. Elsie Clew Parsons focused on gender and explained its influence on career of women. Feminist methodologies emphasizes on the idea that women have distinctive ways of knowing. There were many critiques that rejected the notion and even the methodology or reasons to be gendered (Wylie, 1998). Feminists study the systematic oppression of women and the current wave of feminist thought includes the concept of empiricist principles. Nursing is primarily considered a woman’s profession as the ideal of nurturing and caring is the essence of nursing which is associated with feminine aspect of human beings (Bunting & Campbell, 1990).Feminists theories believes the knowledge gained by the scientific methods is considered legitimate knowledge but, according to Hubbard (1981), scientific knowledge may reflect the interest and outlook of producers. Feminists oppose the rigid scientific epistemology. It is necessary to have a nonsexist approach for research in feminism, interpretivism and the influence of social concepts on the working of female nurses in nursing homes and care homes. In 1970, Dorothy Smith explained the standpoint of women, although, the approach was believed to be political, and Nancy Hartsock (1983) explained the feminist approach through political science which was based on Marxist notion. Interpretivism Nursing homes and healthcare centers mostly have female nursing staff and in the 19th century, women joined armies of various countries as nurses where they provided health care services. Women have been working in care homes and nursing homes, and using their interpretivism to provide sophisticated care to patients. Interpretist paradigm provides four level of hierarchy of evidence to explain how to interpret human behavior in natural environment. Most of the qualitative method involves talking to the patient and people with whom you interact. Schon (1987) explained the knowing-in-action concept which supported tacit knowledge which was also suggested by Rolfe (1998). Theory of interpretivism show from the time of Renaissance success in scientific methods have helped in understating the dynamics of nature and it helps thinkers to base faith in reason and also to understand human functions and lives. Sociology takes nature as a system which is harmonious overall but having competitive and conflicting units (Schon, 1987). Interpretist approach is based on action theory where it is considered human behavior is directed towards purpose and human have consciousness which helps to interpret the behavior of others but positivist assert human behaviors can be based on same philosophical base as animals or other physical objects. It is believed humans are conscious being who can make choices and interpretists argue that human have the capabilities to identify and interpret other’s behavior and response accordingly. Impact of Interpretivism and Feminism Nursing Homes Nursing students have to take up courses in sociology to understand the social nature of patients and care has been widely recognized. Holistic nursing care requires proper understanding of sociology (Harding, 1986). Nursing has been studied as the series of tasks and technologies, a broad range of supportive human subject, a subject of medicine and science of human health spanning the life cycle (Gortner, 1983).Women are considered less rationale as compared to men and science is the superior way of finding truth, while feminism was believed to be unscientific and was disregarded (Harding, 1986). Estabrooks (1999) found nurses use many types of practice information which was experimentally based instead of research based and hence, the decision-making of nurses was influenced by many knowledge forms. Duffy applied research on the effects of pregnancy abuse, maternal infant and conducted interviews on pregnant women to explain how the feminist principles and nursing research had interlinked ideologies and beliefs. It explained the experience of traditional, tacit knowledge and intuition. The Liaschenko and Fisher (1999) explained the concept of personal knowledge in nursing. Feminist standpoints theories have drawn attention towards the sexual division of labor which is also directly related to the class division. Sociologist Dorothy Smith found women had the advantage of bifurcated consciousness over male sociologists as they were caught between the conceptual world and material word. In 1983, the theory explained the contribution of women during the child rearing as a systematic difference of experience in the genders. According to other theory, it is found that these activities keep women in socially underprivileged positions and it can form the basis of privileged epistemic standpoint while it also helped to get deeper understanding of patriarchal institutions (Hartsock, 1983). Hartsock had previously explained the version of feminist standpoint theory revealing the social position was inversely related to epistemic position. Recently, it has also been argued that gender is not different from social categories and Patricia Hill Collinsem applied the idea of black women’s standpoint, identifying epistemic resources of women’s experience (Collins, 1990). Source of Knowledge Knowledge has been passed by the nurses through traditional understanding and it has been conveyed through practice, written documents, articles and experience. Even today, traditional nursing practices are considered useful. Team handovers is the method where it is important for the nurses to ensure the transfer of patients from the outgoing nurse to incoming nurse and it also helps to make the new nurses learn the process of nursing. Many new types of equipments have replaced manual handling based on the guidelines of National Back Pain Association and the Royal College of Nursing (1997) in the recent past. The Model of Intuitive Practice in Nursing Rew and Sparrow (1987) explained the use of tacit knowledge and intuition in nursing and Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1985) explained the model of intuitive practice which described the six elements - Pattern Recognition, Similarity Recognition, Commonsense Understanding, Sense of Salience, Deliberate Rationality and Skilled Know-how. Nursing knowledge is drawn from science, experience and through personally derived understanding. Many writers believed knowledge is generated through personal understanding and experience. Carper (1978) discussed there were four patterns of knowing empirics - know and what, and aesthetic - know and how. Intuitions and Tacit Knowledge - Nurses have to use scientific knowledge, experience and personal knowledge to make judgments, and nursing and healthcare industry has a number of questions linked to the social aspect of life and research on interpretivism is employed which includes method to understand and make sense of the human nature and world. Qualitative researchers studied people’s interactions and behavior patterns to design qualitative methods. Nursing studies have included feminist and the research studies have found that intuitions and tacit are two important aspects of nursing which is developed through experience and a nurse can provide holistic care through intuitive doers (Benner, 1984). It has been suggested in the research the ability of nurses to identify the need of patients through intuitive and tacit knowledge does not provide a scientific objectivity to the phenomena (Hek and Moule, 2006). Nurses should be engaged in research for professional practice and to secure evidence based future. Personal Knowledge in Nursing Use of personal knowledge is also found in nursing, and Liaschenko and Fisher (1999) explained personal knowledge where the understanding of individual and experience of care delivery is linked to knowing a person individually. Benner (1984) explained the five levels of experiences in nursing - novice, advanced beginner, proficient and expert. Personal knowledge is gained when the student practiced experience and it is developed through a range of experience. Women developed experience during their personal life phases and it also helps to develop intuition. Nursing research has been linked to physical sciences, sociology, environmental sciences and epidemiology, and interpretism has been widely associated to nursing profession as it helps to provide better service and enhance the quality of nursing and care to patients. Feminist social epistemologists have promoted democratic goals in the direction of research. Sandra Harding (1991, p. 312) explained ‘reinvention of science is required to replace sciences which serves only the elite few The social theories are used for nursing research for evidence based research’. The nature of relationship between science and nursing occupied a great deal of time and energy of theorists and further it requires more research to ensure if there exists any scientific nature of nursing (Hagell, 1989). Conclusion Nursing is a profession which encompasses more than just scientific knowledge ( Davis, 1997). Hence, nurses will be benefited from the social change and autonomy for the patient’s account of care (Baines, 1998). Swansen and Chenitz (1982) explained how the domain of nursing cannot be researched only through the quantitative methods. Feminism has been given a worldwide view which states female members of society have confronted systematic injustice based on gender (Buntin & Campbell, 1990). As the member of female profession, nurses should embrace the feminist approach to deeply understand nursing practice. Feminist research is based on right and truth, and it is concerned with the values rather than qualitative means. References 1. Bainer, C.T. (1998). Women’s profession and ethic of care. In Baines, C.T., Evans, P. M., & Neysmith, S. M. (Eds). Women’s Caring: Feminist Perspectives On Social Welfare. 23- 46, Oxford. 2. Benner, P. (1984) From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing Practice. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley. 3. Benner, P. and Tanner, C. 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