Intertwining caring science, caring practice and caring education from a lifeworld perspective - two contextual examples

Abstract

This article describes how caring science can be a helpful foundation for caring practice and what kind of learning support that can enable the transformation of caring science into practice. The lifeworld approach is fundamental for both caring and learning. This will be illustrated in two examples from research that show the potential for promoting health and wellbeing as well as the learning process. One example is from a caring context and the other is from a learning context. In this article, learning and caring are understood as parallel processes. We emphasize that learning cannot be separated from life and thus caring and education is intertwined with caring science and life. The examples illustrate how an understanding of the intertwining can be fruitful in different contexts. The challenge is to implant a lifeworld-based approach on caring and learning that can lead to strategies that in a more profound way have the potential to strengthen the person’s health and learning processes.

Key words: Caring, caring science, education, learning, lifeworld, nursing, phenomenology

(Published: 9 December 2011)

Citation: Int J Qualitative Stud Health Well-being 2011, 6: 10363 - DOI: 10.3402/qhw.v6i4.10363