Week 2

Question 1

Equity and Social Justice in Developing Theories

Answer 1

This chapter presents an analysis of the ideological structures that shape theory development in nursing and proposes that theory, particularly situation-specific theory, can reach beyond structures and systems that sustain inequities. Specific characteristics of situation-specific theory are examined in light of the emancipatory approaches that address social injustice.

Question 2

Caring in Nursing Theory

Answer 2

Theories of caring in nursing, developed over decades, are rooted in the ethical principle of respect for human dignity and an expectation of nurse behaviour that demonstrates caritas. This article describes the context and evolution of caring-theory development; presents an overview of caring theories, their components, and studies framed by a caring theory; and examines the current state of caring-theory development. The body of knowledge framed by caring theories, constructs, and models contributes to caring science. Caring science depends on how future research and scholarship are guided, translated, disseminated, and expanded to strengthen caring science and to direct nursing praxis.

Question 3

Feminist Theory in Sociology

Answer 3

Key areas of focus within feminist theory include:

discrimination and exclusion on the basis of sex and gender
objectification
structural and economic inequality
power and oppression
gender roles and stereotypes

In reality, feminist theory has always been about viewing the social world in a way that illuminates the forces that create and support inequality, oppression, and injustice, and in doing so, promotes the pursuit of equality and justice.

That said, since the experiences and perspectives of women and girls were historically excluded for years from social theory and social science, much feminist theory has focused on their interactions and experiences within society to ensure that half the world’s population is not left out of how we see and understand social forces, relations, and problems.

Part of what makes feminist theory creative and inclusive is that it often considers how systems of power and oppression interact, which is to say it does not just focus on gendered power and oppression, but on how this might intersect with systemic racism, a hierarchical class system, sexuality, nationality, and (dis)ability, among other things.

Question 4

Understanding Critical Theory

Answer 4

Critical theory is a social theory oriented toward critiquing and changing society as a whole. It differs from traditional theory, which focuses only on understanding or explaining society. Critical theories aim to dig beneath the surface of social life and uncover the assumptions that keep human beings from a full and true understanding of how the world works.

Critical theory emerged out of the Marxist tradition and was developed by a group of sociologists at the University of Frankfurt in Germany who referred to themselves as The Frankfurt School.

Question 5

Postcolonial Theory

Answer 5

Postcolonial theory is a body of thought primarily concerned with accounting for the political, aesthetic, economic, historical, and social impact of European colonial rule around the world in the 18th through the 20th century. Postcolonial theory takes many different shapes and interventions, but all share a fundamental claim: that the world we inhabit is impossible to understand except in relationship to the history of imperialism and colonial rule. This means that it is impossible to conceive of “European philosophy,” “European literature,” or “European history” as existing in the absence of Europe’s colonial encounters and oppression around the world. It also suggests that colonized world stands at the forgotten center of global modernity.

Question 6

Post-Structuralism

Answer 6

Post-structuralism denotes a way of theorizing that emerged around the 1950s, predominantly in France, among otherwise extremely diverse intellectuals (although many question this label). Most thinkers termed post-structuralist, as well as the legitimating struggles and heated debates, were prominent until about the 1980s. Beyond this date, the debates died down and many once radical post-structuralist ideas were subsequently absorbed into mainstream disciplines. As the name suggests, a post-structuralist way of thinking is rooted in structuralism, but it also represents a retrospective critique of certain structuralist commitments. Like structuralism, post-structuralism identifies a way of theorizing that belongs equally to literary theory (the systematic study of literary texts), philosophy (especially the study of how thought works, insofar as thinking is carried out in language), and critical theory (emancipatory social science via discourse analysis and ideology critique). The starting points for a post-structural theoretical vision within this enormous terrain of interdisciplinary scholarship are language, signification, and semiotics.

Question 7

Theory and Reasoning in Everyday Life

Answer 7

Abstract vs Concrete Concepts

Theory & research are perceived to be abstract concepts

Become more concrete when you examine their roles in everyday activities and events

Question 8

Concept

Answer 8

A mental formulating of objects or events, representing the basic way in which ideas are organized and communicated

Question 9

Conceptualization

Answer 9

the process of formulating concepts

Question 10

Operational definitions

Answer 10

A description of concepts, articulated in such a way that they can be applied to decision making in practice. It links concepts with other concepts and with theories, and it often includes the essential properties and distinguishing features of a concept.

Question 11

Theory

Answer 11

A purposeful set of assumptions or propositions about concepts, shows relationships between concepts and thereby provides a systematic view of phenomena so that they may be explained, predicted, or prescribed.

Question 12

Assumption

Answer 12

A description of concepts or connection of two concepts that are accepted as factual or true; includes “taken for granted” ideas about the nature and purpose of concepts as well as the structure of theory.

Question 13

Proposition

Answer 13

A declarative assertion

Question 14

Phenomenon

Answer 14

An aspect of reality that can be consciously sensed or experienced; nursing concepts and theories represent the theoretical approach to making sense of aspects of reality of concern to nursing.

Question 15

Theoretical model

Answer 15

Mental representation of how things work.

Question 16

Conceptual framework

Answer 16

The theoretical structures that links concepts together for a specific purpose. When its purpose is to show how something works, it can also be described as a theoretical model. Nursing conceptual frameworks link major concepts and phenomena to direct nursing decisions (e.g., what to assess, how to make sense of data, what to plan, how to enact a plan, and how to evaluate whether the plan has had the intended outcome). Conceptual frameworks are also often referred to as. nursing models or nursing theories.

Question 17

NURSING KNOWLEDGE

Answer 17

Concepts
-ideas

Conceptual Frameworks
-describes an idea

Theories
-describes a set of ideas

Models
-A drawing of a framework or idea – help us to better understand them

Question 18

What are concepts?

Answer 18

Abstract ideas or mental images of phenomena or reality
Often called the “building blocks” of theories
Concepts can be: 1) concrete; 2) inferential or 3) abstract
Reflect: What are some concepts that apply to nursing?

Question 19

What are concepts?

Answer 19

Abstract ideas or mental images of phenomena or reality
Often called the “building blocks” of theories
Concepts can be: 1) concrete; 2) inferential or 3) abstract
Reflect: What are some concepts that apply to nursing?

Question 20

What are conceptual frameworks?

Answer 20

Goal is to understand how effective nurses systematically organize knowledge about nursing to understand an individual patient’s situation.

Frameworks and models sought to depict theoretical structures that would enable a nurse to grasp a clinical situation within the larger context of available options.

Often referred to as nursing theories

Question 21

Metaparadigm Concepts

Answer 21

A metaparadigm is a global conceptual framework or theory

4 main concepts
- Nursing
- person
- health
- environment/situation

Question 22

Ways of Knowing

Answer 22

Science is one of several forms of knowledge

Ways of knowing refers to patterns of knowledge application in nursing practice

Empirical science; ethical, personal, aesthetic, and sociopolitical knowledge; and critical thinking

Question 23

What do we mean by the word ‘theory’?

Answer 23

Purposeful set of assumptions or propositions that identify the relationships between concepts
Provides a systematic view for explaining, predicting, and prescribing phenomena

Question 24

Nursing Theory

Answer 24

Knowledge about nursing organized for nurses to use in a professional and accountable manner

A perspective for viewing clients’ situations, a way to organize data, and a method of analyzing and interpreting information, to render nursing practice coherent and informed

Question 25

Types of Theory

Answer 25

Grand Middle-range Descriptive Prescriptive

Question 26

Major Theoretical Models

Answer 26

Practice-based theories Needs theories Interactionist theories Systems theories Simultaneity theories

Question 27

Practice-Based Theories

Answer 27

Florence Nightingale The McGill Model Patricia Benner – skill acquisition

Question 28

Needs Theories

Answer 28

Virginia Henderson Dorothea Orem

Question 29

Interactions Theories

Answer 29

Hildegard Peplau Joyce Travelbee Evelyn Adam

Question 30

Simultaneity Theories

Answer 30

Martha Rogers Rosemarie Parse Jean Watson

Question 31

What is Critical Theory?

Answer 31

Critical theory is a social theory oriented toward critiquing and changing society. It differs from traditional theory, which focuses only on understanding or explaining society. Critical theories aim to dig beneath the surface of social life and uncover the assumptions that keep human beings from a full and true understanding of how the world works. Critical theory emerged out of the Marxist tradition and was developed by a group of sociologists at the University of Frankfurt in Germany who referred to themselves as The Frankfurt School.

Question 32

Critical Lens

Answer 32

- social orders involve domination and power - knowledge is shaped by power relations - truth can never be separated from values/ideologies

Question 33

Core Elements of Critical Theory

Answer 33

These distinguish CT from its traditional counterparts: a distinctive theory of how social change has been and might be brought about adherence to an ethical social justice framework that aspires to better society engagement in dialectical analysis that conceptualizes critical analysis in the context of socially situated power relations reflective accountability concerning critical theory’s own practices

Question 34

Critical feminist

Answer 34

Intrapersonal - how do gender, class, age, ability, size, and other forms of social positioning shape understanding? Interpersonal Contextual Interpersonal - How do gender, race, class, age, ability, size, and forms of social positioning shape each interpersonal relationship? Contextual - How are gender, race, class, age, ability, size, and other forms of social positioning shaping people and situation?

Question 35

Postcolonial

Answer 35

Intra - How do history colonial relations and racism shape understanding? Inter - How do history, colonial relations, and racism shape each interpersonal relationship? Contextual - How do history, colonial structures and arrangements?

Question 36

Poststructural

Answer 36

intra - how does language shape understanding inter - how does language shape each interpersonal relationship contextual - how does language shape social structures and arrangements

Question 37

Intersectionality as Critical Theory

Answer 37

Core Constructs   *Relationality *Power *Social inequality *Social context *Complexity *Social justice Guiding Premises (1) Race, class, gender, and similar systems of power are interdependent and mutually construct one another. (2) Intersecting power relations produce complex, interdependent social inequalities of race, class, gender, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, ability, and age. (3) The social location of individuals and groups within intersecting power relations shapes their experiences within and perspectives on the social world. (4) Solving social problems within a given local, regional, national, or global context requires intersectional analyses.

Question 38

Feminist Theory

Answer 38

A major branch within sociology that shifts its assumptions, analytic lens, and topical focus away from the male viewpoint and experience toward that of women. Shines a light on social problems, trends, and issues that are otherwise overlooked or misidentified by the historically dominant male perspective within social theory. Key areas of focus: discrimination and exclusion based on sex and gender objectification structural and economic inequality power and oppression gender roles and stereotypes

Question 39

Postcolonial Theory

Answer 39

A body of thought primarily concerned with accounting for the political, aesthetic, economic, historical, and social impact of European colonial rule around the world in the 18th through the 20th century. Fundamental claim: that the world we inhabit is impossible to understand except in relationship to the history of imperialism and colonial rule. It is impossible to conceive of “European philosophy,” “European literature,” or “European history” as existing in the absence of Europe’s colonial encounters and oppression around the world. Suggests that colonized world stands at the forgotten center of global modernity.

Question 40

Possibilities of a Decolonizing Filter

Answer 40

Key tenets Explicit emphasis on colonial and neocolonial relations; the continuities of history Attention to global relations Attention to material relations Attention to the intersections among racism, material relations, and colonial power Ask yourself: How do we identify our assumptions of racial superiority or inferiority? Race is not a biologic phenomenon. Attention to how history and economics intertwine to advantage some and disadvantage others

Question 41

Poststructuralism

Answer 41

Post-structuralism denotes a way of theorizing that emerged around the 1950s, predominantly in France. Prominent until about the 1980s. As the name suggests, a post-structuralist way of thinking is rooted in structuralism, but it also represents a retrospective critique of certain structuralist commitments. Like structuralism, post-structuralism identifies a way of theorizing that belongs equally to literary theory (the systematic study of literary texts), philosophy (especially the study of how thought works, insofar as thinking is carried out in language), and critical theory (emancipatory social science via discourse analysis and ideology critique).

Question 42

Using a Poststructural Filter

Answer 42

Ask yourself: How does language affect people’s experiences of health and health care? Barriers Miscommunication How is language used- focus on language in action. Language is integral to how power operates. language affects people's experiences of health and health care because it can cause barriers and miscommunication if the language is unclear or unfamiliar, or it can smooth out the healthcare experience by comforting the patient through language

Question 43

What is Constructivist Theory?

Answer 43

A theory of teaching and learning Our BSN curriculum is based on constructivist theory Main principles: Knowledge is constructed, rather than innate, or passively absorbed Learning is an active process All knowledge is socially constructed All knowledge is personal Learning exists in the mind

Question 44

Nurses Creating Change

Answer 44

Use knowledge for social change and emancipatory political aims. Understand people’s circumstances; do not judge them. Take people’s circumstances into account when planning care. Look for ways to affect circumstances that are beyond individual control.

Question 45

Middle Range Theory

Answer 45

Relevant to the empirical Less abstract than Grand Nursing Theories Concerned with specific phenomena found in nursing practice Useful to nurse researchers who want to test interventions, develop practice Guidelines, and improve specific conditions for patients, families, students and nurses Middle-range nursing theories are narrower in scope than grand nursing theories and offer an effective bridge between grand nursing theories and nursing practice. They present concepts and propositions at a lower level of abstraction and hold great promise for increasing theory-based research and nursing practice strategies

Question 46

Middle Range Theory Examples

Answer 46

There are not great examples of mid-range theories in the text, the following three examples of mid range theories focus on caring, and the way caring can transpire in the context of nursing Theory of Comfort The declining significance of comfort for patients Developed to potentially place comfort once again in the forefront of healthcare Comfort exists in three forms: relief, ease, and transcendence The Theory of Chronic Sorrow Helping nurses work with and understand the responses of patients and families who have experienced a significant loss The Theory of Mastery of Stress This theory explains the mechanisms through which suffering affects an individual's sense of community and connectedness with other How individuals master difficulties and bad circumstances

Question 47

Theorizing in the Future

Answer 47

To stimulate thinking To create a broad understanding of the science and practice of the nursing discipline To provide a rationale for nursing actions and decisions

Question 48

A Global View of Nursing Theory

Answer 48

Theory is expansive across the globe. Theories are shared and adapted between countries and across the world. Adapted to the population and its needs

Question 49

Nursing theory is important to the development of the nursing discipline for what reason?

Answer 49

It articulates the role of nurses and differentiates nursing from other professions.

Question 50

While Jane and Marcy are studying for a nursing exam, Marcy asks what the difference is between a theory and a conceptual framework. Which of these statements made by Jane would reflect an accurate understanding of the two terms?

Answer 50

“A theory explicitly states the relationship between concepts, while a conceptual framework is a group of related concepts.” Correct: Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably within nursing literature, a conceptual framework provides an overall view of a group of concepts, while a theory takes things one step further and articulates the relationships between the concepts.