When I saw the title of this chapter I thought that it would only pertain to health care professionals. The focus of the chapter was on responsiveness meaning the way that we respond to health issues. This chapter was one of the most clearly written chapters in the book. On page 191, health care communication ethics is defined in the following way: "Health care communication ethics protects and promotes the good of responsive hope and the good of care for the Other in meeting moments of robust health, normal difficulties, the tragic, and the inevitable," (191). One thing that I did not like about this chapter and do not like about this book as a whole, is the lack of concrete examples to further explain the points the authors are trying to make. The topic of the chapter is something that everyone can relate to so it would have helped a lot if the authors had used more examples from their lives or hypothetical examples to describe the concepts of the chapter.
The overall tone of the chapter, however, was very sensitive to the emotional nature of this topic. Another key quote is from page 201: "In essence, a labor of care depends upon a sense of 'why' that gives one a reason propelling the human tenacity to engage the 'how' of the doing of care for oneself and for others" (201). My interpretation of this sentence is that it is about finding the reasons and will to keep going in our struggles with our own health problems as well as the health problems of those close to us. Another nice quote was on page 204: "Health care communication ethics carries a good that offers hope when there seems no hope before us." Health care communication ethics encourage us to keep going.
The discussion of human responsiveness and people battling serious health problems reminded me of a co-worker's husband. He has cancer and throughout his illness he has maintained a positive attitude. The sentence on page 197 about how people facing health problems can inspire us made me think about him: "They remind us of the importance of responsiveness as a pragmatic move that meets not a fork in the road, but an opportunity for response that somehow creates a road not seen before" (197). He has always described his battle with cancer as a "journey" or as an "adventure" which are rather positive terms. His response to his illness has been positive and inspiring.
The quote on p. 191 stuck out to me as well. This quote did that to me because the word responsiveness rang loud and clear. As a support system for someone else, you have the choice and agency to choose how you express your love/care for someone else. You have the choice to sit on the sidelines, or get proactive and show your care physically, mentally and emotionally. Also, the quote illustrates the beauty of this type of ethic. Pertaining to this particular type of ethic, this one makes a person not think of themselves, but step outside of that and focus on the goodwill of another person.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter makes me think a lot about my mom. I was on spring break when I found out my mom had went to the hospital for a disease called ADEM. She was really scared, but didn't tell me because she didn't want to ruin my vacation. When I came back to MN, it was tough to deal with. However, I wanted to show my mom that I was there for her, not only by calling her, but actually going to the hospital and expressing my care. I think she really appreciated that, and I look forward to our relationship growth in the future. She knows that I really love/care for her, and her health issues allowed me to show that!