DRHS906 Professional Caring in the Intersection Between System and Lifeworld (Autumn 2019)

About the course

Caring in the health and social services is performed in close relationships between the patients/users and the health care professionals. The frames of professional caring are likewise usually public institutions, where the systems’ goals-rationality prevails, which can contribute to a caring crisis. Inside definite frames, such a crisis can be understood as the system’s colonization of the lifeworld. The focus is on research and theory that might shed light on caring both at the system and individual level. In this way, the course will ensure both a macro and micro perspective on caring.

How the caring services are modeled at the system or social level, constitute the frames of caring in the communication between the individual professional and the user, often characterized by the term caring relationships. Different ideologies and values form the basis for caring relationships. The health and social professions can place emphasis on different caring values, which vary according to their professional background, e.g., feminist, humanistic, health and social professional perspectives. Tensions can appear both between the diverse professions and between superior ideologies in the society/values and professional values (rationality of caring versus instrumental rationality).

In this course, the diversity of caring ideologies and theories will be the focus at both the professional level and that of the society. Research on professional caring will be illuminated and criticized. 

The course is connected to the following study programs

• PhD in Health and Social Sciences, Professional Practice - Terms and Development

Recommended requirements

Recommended previous knowledge: Master's degree (or the equivalent). Participants enrolled as a Ph.D. student at HiM, HVO, or a relevant Ph.D. program have priority.

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

After completing the course, the candidates have the following learning outcomes defined in knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge:

The candidate should be able to

• Make the candidate capable of understanding the foundations for professional caring in the intersection between system and lifeworld

• Have insight into the mechanisms caused by the structural conditions and moral caring practice

Skills:

The candidate should be able to

• Conceptualize and problematize the concept of care in various caring theories that deal with professional /practice care/caring in the intersection between system and lifeworld

• Develop research design and understandable issues about what can promote quality in professional practice/care/caring in the intersection between system and lifeworld

General competencies:

The candidate should be able to

• Identify new and relevant issues and outline research design for these

• Lead project and participate in debates dealing with professional care/caring in the intersection between system and lifeworld

Forms of teaching and learning

Lectures, group-work and plenary discussions.

The course is organized in a three days session. Teaching and learning forms will mainly consist of lectures and group work with plenary discussions

Examination

The course requires approved individual answer to the passing task (home exam).

Internal sensor

Syllabus

To be determined.