Tenets Of Emancipatory Knowing

I believe the emancipatory way of knowing most closely aligns with my chosen concept of poverty. I believe the emancipatory way of knowing suits the concept of poverty because “emancipatory knowing challenges you to become aware of social conditions that are often subtle and hard to recognize and to change them for the better” (Chinn & Kramer, 2011). As I have learned from previous assignments, poverty is a difficult concept to define and may not always be recognizable. Poverty is a formulation of experiences and these experiences vary for each and every individual. Poverty could be a result of several life occurrences or it could be a choice. As a nurse it is not our responsibility to make judgments about an individual, but rather develop an awareness of social injustices and take action to create better conditions for those we care for.
Tenets of Emancipatory Knowing Emancipatory knowing is what allows humans to
recognize social injustices, question how things could be different, and then initiate change so these injustices can be minimized or eliminated. In order for this to take place, nurses must first be able to question what is “normal” or why are things the way that they are. It seems as though more times than not, people carry out hegemonic patterns of thinking toward certain aspects of life. This makes it difficult for them to imagine things in a different way, which may shut down any opportunity for change. Nurses, especially, need to realize when something is wrong and take initiative to get down to the bottom of the problem. One must then decide how things can be different and how a change can be made to benefit a larger population than just at the individual level. There must be an underlying understanding that all people are capable of their full potential when limitations are identified then dreams can become a reality. Reflection is also an importance aspect of emancipatory knowing (Chinn & Kramer, 2011). Nurses must be able to reflect on past experiences and determine what could have been done differently or what prejudices could have been eliminated. From this reflection, one should be able to develop possibilities for change and be able to use those reflections to assist in future interactions. It is knowledge gained from past experiences that will aid in making changes for future ones, particularly for a social injustice, such as poverty that may be prominent in the community you reside in. In order to properly care for a patient suffering from poverty, emancipatory knowing needs to take place.
For example, if a patient experiencing poverty is diagnosed with diabetes you must first recognize his/her situation in order to determine proper treatment. You may not be able to prescribe the patient insulin injections as a treatment, because the patient may not be able to afford the insulin or the syringes, which would result in noncompliance. It is important for the treatment plan to be specific and feasible for the individual patient. It may be that lifestyle changes would be beneficial if the patient had access to healthy foods or a safe place to exercise. Or maybe there is a need in the community for diabetic patients to use as a resource, and you identify an opportunity to make changes that would benefit several members of the community. It is an opportunity such as this that allows nurses to identify a social injustice, question how things could be different for this population, and make changes to better the lives of
others. In conclusion, I really enjoyed making the connection between several terms we have discussed thus far in this course. Throughout this reflection I was able to interconnect the concept of poverty, the emancipatory way of knowing, and hegemony. In simplest terms, emancipatory knowing is what allows us or gives us the ability to identify a social injustice, such as poverty, recognize hegemonic views present regarding this concept, and act on making a change. I believe emancipatory knowing is essential in the nursing field and is the only way for a nurse to excel in the profession.