Sailing beyond: nursing theory and the person

This article explores nursing's conceptualization of the person in terms of holism and uniqueness. These concepts raise concerns from postmodernist and feminist perspectives in terms of the unitary self, essentialism, culturalism, agency, and subjectivity. The use of holism and uniqueness in nursing theory appeals to the generic person, disregards interactions among the individual's race, class, and sex, and, thus, leaves larger institutional and societal issues unacknowledged, unexplored, and unchallenged. Nursing theories are needed that have social justice as their goal.