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1 – 10 of over 92000The self should not be understood atomistically; indeed, the very concept of the self is only necessary in social contexts. There is a link, then, between self and world. In my…
Abstract
The self should not be understood atomistically; indeed, the very concept of the self is only necessary in social contexts. There is a link, then, between self and world. In my view, this can be conceptualized through Luciano Floridi's concept of the ontic trust. This concept was named after the legal concept of the trust, in which one party (the trustor) settles some property on a second party (the trustee) for the benefit of a third party (the beneficiary). The ontic trust is entered unwillingly and inescapably, but it is not coercive; rather, it constitutes a caring bond, an invitation to respect and appreciate others (including other people and all organisms and things). The concept has seen some discussion, but no one has yet commented on the role of the self in the ontic trust. Selves are clusters of experience – we are all little corners of the universe. As participants in the ontic trust, we can see that we must take care of ourselves because that is tantamount to taking care of the universe. Thus, self-care is an important ethical directive in the information society. This is not a solipsistic or egotistical claim; rather, it is the recognition that without a good self, good work for others is not possible. It is the recognition that all beings are connected, but that certain actions must be directed by agents toward themselves for the subsequent betterment of all.
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Irena Canjuga, Danica Železnik, Marijana Neuberg, Marija Božicevic and Tina Cikac
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of self-care on the prevalence of loneliness among elderly people living in retirement homes and older people living in their…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of self-care on the prevalence of loneliness among elderly people living in retirement homes and older people living in their homes/communities.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was conducted through standardized SELSA-L assessment loneliness questionnaires and the Self Care Assessment Worksheet for self-care assessment. The results were processed using the Kruskal–Wallis test.
Findings
The obtained results have shown that impaired self-care ability affects the prevalence of loneliness among the elderly almost the same in both groups of participants. However, regarding the relationship between the state of health and self-care, only a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of loneliness is found in the case of the participants living in their homes, with the worst health condition affecting the poorer psychological care.
Research limitations/implications
It is necessary to point out the limitations of the research, primarily sample limitations and the selected design of the study. The sample consisted of two different and relatively small groups of participants which could adversely affect the representativeness of the sample and reduce the possibility of generalising the results. The next limiting factor is the age distribution the authors used in the research, where the age of the participants as a very important variable was collected by age range and not precisely which consequently resulted in inequality in subgroup sizes. Thus, the middle age (75–85) covers up to ten years, which is a huge range at an older age and can mean major differences in functional ability, and can impact the self-care assessment.
Practical implications
Nurses are indispensable in care for the elderly and they need to promote and encourage self-care of the elderly through health care. Elderly people living in retirement homes should be allowed to participate equally in health care in order to preserve their own autonomy and dignity. However, to benefit those who live in their homes, nurses should be connected to the local community and thus stimulate various forms of preventative (testing blood sugar levels, blood pressure and educating on the importance of preventive examinations) or recreational activities in the environment of elderly people with the goal of preserving their functional abilities.
Originality/value
The impact of self-care on loneliness was not sufficiently researched, and this paper contributed to understanding the complexity of loneliness phenomena among the elderly with the aim of developing a model of prevention.
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Heather Bailie Schock, Yvonne Franco and Madelon McCall
Most teacher preparation programs (TPP) provide little instruction on mitigating the stress-related consequences of teaching (Miller and Flint-Stipp, 2019). This study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Most teacher preparation programs (TPP) provide little instruction on mitigating the stress-related consequences of teaching (Miller and Flint-Stipp, 2019). This study aims to provide empirical support for including a self-care unit in teacher preparation curricula to address the secondary trauma and stressors inherent to the teaching profession (Essential 2; NAPDS, 2021; Sutcher et al., 2019).
Design/methodology/approach
This investigation occurred in an elementary TPP at a private southeastern US university and spanned two years, utilizing a mixed methods approach.
Findings
Findings suggest that after experiencing a 5-week self-care unit, preservice teachers exhibited a statistically significant increase in well-being and a newfound recognition of the need to prioritize self-care for effective teaching, suggesting its potential effectiveness in reducing burnout and attrition.
Research limitations/implications
While this study provided valuable insights into the implementation and impact of a self-care unit within the context of elementary education majors at a mid-sized private university in the USA, it is essential to acknowledge its limitations. One notable limitation is the relatively homogenous sample, primarily consisting of White female participants.
Practical implications
The implications of this study are critical for teacher education policy and practice, advocating for including self-care curricula to enhance teacher well-being and, by extension, prepare teachers with a skillset to support their career trajectory (Essential 3; NAPDS, 2021).
Originality/value
This recommendation underscores the collaborative efforts between TPPs and partnership schools to implement such initiatives effectively, representing a pivotal step toward better-preparing teachers to manage the demands of their profession while prioritizing their mental health (Essentials 4 & 5; NAPDS, 2021).
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Joshua Ray, John Pijanowski and Kara Lasater
The purpose of this study was to explore the well-being of school principals and the job-embedded demands responsible for challenging their adoption of healthy self-care practices.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore the well-being of school principals and the job-embedded demands responsible for challenging their adoption of healthy self-care practices.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon a multidisciplinary theoretical framework that included contributions from the fields of neurobiology and psychology, three tiers of self-care needs were established to inform the study: basic physiological needs such as sleep, hydration, and nutrition; active self-care practices such as exercise, relaxation, and stress relief; and higher order needs such as belongingness and love addressed through work-life balance, volunteerism, and relational belonging. A 45-question survey containing Likert scale items and open-ended questions was returned from 473 practicing building administrators (a 24.4% response rate).
Findings
Findings from this study, compared to estimates from the literature, indicate that school leaders work longer hours, are more sleep deprived, more dehydrated, have poorer diet practices, exercise less regularly, and spend less time with their friends and family than the general population. Administrators struggled to find ways within their control to improve their self-care behavior and offered suggestions regarding how the structure of the job itself might be changed to facilitate improving the health of school leaders.
Originality/value
This work offers insight into the current well-being of school principals, and by better understanding administrators’ self-care practices, this study can inform the field in developing supports, practices, and expectations, which promote the health and well-being of building-level leaders. Unhealthy self-care practices may influence their effectiveness, happiness, and possibly their longevity within the profession. Data collected through this study informed ideas about policies and procedures that could promote greater opportunities for healthier, more effective leaders within schools.
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Sonya D. Hayes, Erin Anderson and Bradley W. Carpenter
This study centers the reflections of principals across the USA as they navigated the overwhelming stress of closing and reopening schools during a global pandemic. Specifically…
Abstract
Purpose
This study centers the reflections of principals across the USA as they navigated the overwhelming stress of closing and reopening schools during a global pandemic. Specifically, the authors explored how school principals addressed self-care and their own well-being during the pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
This research study is part of a broader qualitative study conducted by 20 scholars from across the USA in Spring 2020 and organized by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE). This national research team conducted 120 qualitative interviews with public school principals in 19 different states and 100 districts. As part of this team, the authors coded and analyzed all 120 transcripts in NVivo using a self-care framework.
Findings
The responses from the participants capture some of the complexity of self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors found evidence of both negative and positive sentiments towards self-care that will be described in five major themes. For the tensions with self-care, the authors developed two primary themes: leaders eat last and keep from falling off the cliff. For the demonstrations of self-care, the authors also developed three primary themes: release the endorphins, people need people and unplug from work.
Originality/value
Although researchers have identified the stressors and reactions of principals during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known on how principals engaged in self-care practices. This study aims to identify these self-care practices and offer recommendations for principals.
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The purpose of this paper is to raise issues about the design of personal health record systems (PHRs) and self-monitoring technology supporting self-care practices of an…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to raise issues about the design of personal health record systems (PHRs) and self-monitoring technology supporting self-care practices of an increasing number of individuals dealing with the management of a chronic disease in everyday life. It discusses the results of an ethnographic study exposing to analysis the intricacies and practicalities of managing diabetes “in the wild”. It then describe and discuss the patient-centric design of a diabetes journaling platform that followed the analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
The study includes ethnometodological investigation based on in depth interviews, observations in a support group for adults with type 1 diabetes, home visits, shadowing sessions and semi-structured interviews with a series of medical experts (endocrinologists, general practitioners and diabetes nurses). Findings informed the design of a proof-of-concept PHR called Tag-it-Yourself (TiY): a mobile journaling platform that enables the personalization of self-monitoring practices. The platform is thoroughly described along with an evaluation of its use with real users.
Findings
The investigation sheds light on a series of general characters of everyday chronic self-care practices, and how they ask to re-think some of the assumptions and connotations of the current medical model and the traditional sick role of the patient – often unreflectively assumed also in the design of personal technologies (e.g. PHR) to be used by patients in clinically un-controlled settings. In particular, the analysis discusses: the ubiquitous nature of diabetes that is better seen as a lifestyle, the key role of lay expertises and different forms of knowledge developed by the patient in dealing with a disease on a daily basis, and the need of more symmetrical interactions and collaborations with the medical experts.
Research limitations/implications
Reported discussions suggest the need of a more holistic view of self-management of chronic disease in everyday life with more attention being paid on the perspective of the affected individuals. Findings have potential implications on the way PHR and systems to support self-management of chronic disease in everyday life are conceived and designed.
Practical implications
The paper suggests designers and policy makers to look at chronic disease not as a medical condition to be disciplined by a clinical perspective but rather as a complex life-style where the medical cannot be separated by other aspects of everyday life. Such shift in the perspective might suggest new forms of collaborations, new ways of creative evidence and new form of knowledge creation and validation in chronic self-care.
Social implications
The paper suggests re-thinking the role of the patient in chronic-disease self-management. In particular, it suggests giving more room to the patient voice and concerns and suggest how these can enrich rather than complicate the generation of knowledge about self-care practices, at least in type 1 diabetes.
Originality/value
The paper sheds light on everyday intricacies and practicalities of dealing with a chronic disease. Studies of self-care practices that shed light on the patient perspectives are sporadic and often assume a clinical perspective, its assumptions (e.g. biomedical knowledge is the only one available to improve health outcome, doctors know best) and implications (e.g. compliance, asymmetry between the specialist and the patient).
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Nastaran Mansouriyeh, Hamid Poursharifi, Mohammad Reza Taban Sadeghi and Mohammad Raze Seirafi
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of illness-related worries as a mediator among depression, anxiety and self-care in heart failure (HF) patients was the aim of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of illness-related worries as a mediator among depression, anxiety and self-care in heart failure (HF) patients was the aim of this study.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was descriptive and correlational study. In total, 149 patients with HF were selected for sampling in 2016. Patients completed self-care behavior scale, illness-related worries questionnaire and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) questionnaires. The Pearson correlation coefficient and Sobel test were also done.
Findings
According to the analysis of the Sobel test, the role of illness-related worries as a mediator in the relationship between depression and self-care result was −5.37. Sobel test analysis was done to assess the role of illness-related worries as mediator between anxiety and self-care (6.66). The correlation between depression and self-care was 0.488 (p<0.01); correlation between anxiety and self-care was 0.4 (p<0.01); correlation between anxiety and depression was 0.79 (p<0.01); and the correlation between illness-related worries and self-care was 0.71 (p<0.01).
Originality/value
Illness-related worries can serve as a mediator in the relationship among depression, anxiety and self-care. There was a significant correlation among the research variables. Therefore, educational programs to reduce depression, anxiety and increase self-care should be given priority to for HF patients.
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Ariyanti Saleh, Wirda Wirda, Andi Masyitha Irwan and Aulia Insani Latif
This study aims to identify the relationships among self-efficacy, health literacy, self-care and glycemic control in older people with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM).
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the relationships among self-efficacy, health literacy, self-care and glycemic control in older people with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM).
Design/methodology/approach
This study was a descriptive analytics correlational study with a cross-sectional design. The sampling method was purposive sampling involving 68 older people with type 2 DM.
Findings
The results showed that self-efficacy, health literacy and self-care correlated with glycemic control at significant levels of p = 0.020, p = 0.002 and p = 0.022, respectively.
Practical implications
Nurses should help older people with type 2 DM in maintaining their self-efficacy and self-care and increasing their health literacy to ensure their glycemic control is in normal state.
Originality/value
This study showed that self-care, self-efficacy and health literacy had a significant correlation with glycemic control in older people with type 2 DM. It indicates that the better self-care, self-efficacy and health literacy of patients, the more likely the patients’ blood HbA1C level to be in the normal range.
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This chapter shows that Kant’s notion of human dignity can be understood as a novel ‘care of the self’ and an ‘art of not being governed’. Drawing on a Foucauldian approach, it…
Abstract
This chapter shows that Kant’s notion of human dignity can be understood as a novel ‘care of the self’ and an ‘art of not being governed’. Drawing on a Foucauldian approach, it demonstrates that Kant intends to shape an ethical subject that strives for freedom and self-mastery. It also argues Kant’s idea of dignity embodies a political and spiritual form of resistance against dominant relations of power and subjectivities. Thanks to this novel perspective, this chapter also offers novel insights on the political force of human dignity. With Kant, this notion becomes a ‘government of the self by oneself’.
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Contemporary technology has been implicated in the rise of perfectionism, a personality trait that is associated with depression, suicide and other ills. This paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Contemporary technology has been implicated in the rise of perfectionism, a personality trait that is associated with depression, suicide and other ills. This paper aims to explore how technology can be developed to promote an alternative to perfectionism, which is a self-constructionist ethic.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper takes the form of a philosophical discussion. A conceptual framework is developed by connecting the literature on perfectionism and personal meaning with discussions in information ethics on the self, the ontic trust and technologies of the self. To illustrate these themes, the example of selfies and self-portraits is discussed.
Findings
The self today must be understood as both individualistic and relational, i.e. hybrid; the trouble is a balance. To realize balance, the self should be recognized as part of the ontic trust to which all information organisms and objects belong. Thus, technologically-mediated self-care takes on a deeper urgency. The selfie is one example of a technology for self-care that has gone astray (i.e. lost some of its care-conducive aspects), but this can be remedied if selfie-making technology incorporates relevant aspects of self-portraiture. This example provides a path for developing self-constructionist and meaningful technologies more generally.
Practical implications
Technology development should proceed with self-care and meaning in mind. The comparison of selfies and self-portraits, situated historically and theoretically, provides some guidance in this regard. Some specific avenues for development are presented.
Originality/value
The question of the self has not been much discussed in information ethics. This paper links the self to the ontic trust: the self can be fruitfully understood as an agent within the ontic trust to which we all belong.
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