Spiritual_Wellness_Holistic_Health_and_the_Practic

32 Philosophical Foundations of Health Education
health education. As I view the concept, empowerment is an ongoing process of liberation,
and maybe even one of democratization. It restores people ’ s capacity to act with others
to improve the quality of life. As people experience and engage in the empowerment
process, they have the potential to grow and change.
Sometimes, empowerment levels the so - called playing field between patients and
physicians or other caregivers. Smart patients are now encouraged to communicate
with their doctors so they, the consuming patients, can get better treatment or decide to
select other health care providers. Indeed, the whole field of patients ’ rights, including
“ informed consent, ” seems to be based on the social empowerment model which may
eventually lead to a newly structured health care delivery system that views physicians
more as health care consultants and less as miracle workers.
In my estimate, empowerment is also a potential remedy for the number - one problem
that is often cited as interfering with mutually satisfying and rewarding relationships,
and the number - one problem that is frequently at the very core of broken
relationships, separations, and divorces. As you might have guessed, the problem is
“ poor communications ” — a failure to speak up, to express needs, to resolve conflict, to
say no without hurting one ’ s partner, to demonstrate care and appreciation, and to
share. These empowering communication skills are not meant to develop power over
one another. They are intended to facilitate interactions between partners in an ongoing
process of active listening and expression, a consciousness - raising challenge in
promoting healthy sexuality. Perhaps the term enablement more accurately describes
this function, but I like to think about ways I can empower my students to jointly
resolve sexual harassment, driving under the influence of alcohol, and joining with
others in a memorial society to arrange simple, dignified, and economical funeralization
or body disposition after death.
LIFE - AFFIRMATION
When I inherited the death - and - dying course at Ball State University nearly twenty
years ago, I adopted an operational principle that is best described as “life-affirmation”
in relation to the various topics of thanatology. I chose not to dwell on mortality.
Rather, I have deliberately tried to emphasize the positive, life - enhancing aspects of
death - related topics.
Through a variety of learning opportunities, I try to explain grief as a normal and
desirable response to bereavement. In studying the meaning of death, I emphasize the
importance of appreciating others while they are still here and while we still have time
to share our thoughts and affection. In a study of the autopsy, I clarify how the dead
can help the living via “ gifting, ” and how a postmortem exam can establish an assessment
of clinical medical practice as well as reveal genetic defects that could possibly
affect the children of the deceased. And most importantly, in studying various psychological
reactions often displayed by dying individuals, I propose ways of relating to
the dying and helping the dying to live as fully as possible — often through inclusive
activities and the promotion of decision making.