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[A study for womanhood and caring]
Taehan Kanho. the Korean Nurse
|November 1, 1991
Summary
This study explores the historical link between womanhood and nursing care, revealing how societal gender roles created a dichotomy between nurses' duty to care and their professional autonomy. It highlights the ongoing struggle for nurses to define and value their caring role within broader gender and class issues.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Studies
- Gender Studies
- Sociology of Health
Context:
- Historically, nursing roles were deeply intertwined with societal expectations of womanhood and maternal care.
- The nursing profession has grappled with a perceived dichotomy between the obligation to care and the need for professional autonomy.
- Societal gender and class structures have historically influenced the perception and valuation of nursing as 'women's work'.
Purpose:
- To explore the complex relationship between womanhood and the concept of caring within the nursing profession.
- To identify how historical bonds between caring and womanhood have shaped nursing identity and practice.
- To analyze the societal factors contributing to the ongoing struggle for nurses to establish the basis and value of their caring role.
Summary:
- The study examines how nursing's historical identity, rooted in womanhood and altruism, created a conflict between duty and autonomy.
- It discusses how gender and class dynamics have historically devalued nursing labor, framing it as an obligation rather than a profession.
- Nurses face challenges in redefining the political and professional basis of caring, advocating for their right to care alongside physicians' right to cure.
Impact:
- This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the socio-historical underpinnings of nursing care.
- It provides a framework for addressing the persistent challenges nurses face regarding professional autonomy and the valuation of their work.
- The findings advocate for a re-evaluation of caring within nursing, emphasizing the need for greater political understanding and power to implement equitable practices.