Week 8 Community LO’s
1
Learning Outcomes 1-6
●1. Underlying Assumptions of the Critical Lens
The underlying assumptions of the critical lens are that all forms of social order have
forms of domination and power, and all knowledge is shaped by power relations that are
socially and historically shaped. Facts, or truth claims, are inseparable from values and
ideologies, and there is no knowledge that can be known outside of human
consciousness, values, and history. The critical lens enables community health nurses
(CHN) to examine community situations and nursing practices from different vantage
points by helping them see through taken-for-granted relations to examine the
underlying structures and social relationships. The CHN can then take a close-up view to
see how those structures and relationships shape the health and healthcare experiences
of individuals, families, and communities. This allows the CHN to take action to
challenge the status quo. For example, a CHN might use a critical lens to examine the
power dynamics between nurses and patients and to identify ways to mitigate power
imbalances.
●2. Social Justice
Social justice is the fair distribution of a society’s resources, responsibilities, and
consequences, and focuses on the relative position of one social group in relation to
others in society. Social justice also focuses on the root cause of disparities and what
can be done to eliminate them. Social justice suggests that inequities in health are
avoidable, unnecessary, and unjust.
1. The "Social" in Social Justice: Social justice considers the relationships,
practices, and policies within social groups, communities, and societies. Social
justice acknowledges that some groups have power and privilege over others. It
requires paying attention to how the lives and health of individuals, families, and
groups are shaped by structures and structural inequities such as variable life
circumstances organized by gender, racism, geography, and other factors.
2. Three Features of a Social Justice Approach:
■ Social justice approaches tend to be concerned with the ethical use of
power in healthcare.
■ A social justice approach views people relationally as unique, connected
to others, and interdependent, meaning they are vulnerable and unequal
in power.
■ Attending to social justice tends to elicit concern for issues of everyday
life, not primarily with crisis issues.
●3. Applying McGibbon et al. (2008)
