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Culture, needs and nursing: a critical theory approach
1Faculty of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Western Sydney, Nepean, Kingswood, New South Wales.
Journal of Advanced Nursing
|March 1, 1997
Summary
This study critiques how nursing literature defines "needs," proposing a new concept of need based on critical social science and praxis. It aims to transform nursing practices by challenging existing hegemonic structures.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Nursing Theory
Background:
- The concept of 'needs' in nursing literature is critically examined and found to be fundamentally inadequate.
- Existing cultural critiques, particularly from the Frankfurt School, are relevant to understanding these inadequacies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply critical social science to the concept of needs in nursing.
- To expose the significance of this critique for nursing practice and discipline.
- To develop a new concept of need grounded in 'praxis'.
Main Methods:
- Review of nursing literature on the concept of needs.
- Application of the Frankfurt School's critique of culture.
- Analysis of implications for nursing practice and theory.
Main Results:
- The current depiction of needs in nursing is inadequate.
- Critical social science offers a framework for re-evaluating nursing needs.
- A concept of need based on 'praxis' can address hegemonic practices.
Conclusions:
- Nursing needs a more critical and theoretically informed understanding of 'needs'.
- The concept of 'praxis' offers a path toward more emancipatory nursing practices.
- Challenging hegemonic practices is essential for advancing the discipline of nursing.