Chapter 3: Theory and Philosophy in Health and Human Services

A comprehensive vocabulary flashcard set covering essential philosophical frameworks, epistemologies, health theories, and humanistic concepts from Chapter 3.

Philosophy

Derived from the Greek words "philo" (love) and "sophia" (wisdom), it is the pursuit of wisdom or truth through creating foundational concepts that guide human thinking.

Epistemology

The domain of philosophy concerned with the study of knowledge, including what counts as knowledge, how new knowledge is created, and who determines its validity.

Logical Positivism

An observational approach to knowledge building holding that only things empirically verified through observation can really be known, striving for objective thinking independent of personal biases.

Empiricist Epistemology

An approach to knowledge, dominant in health sciences and influenced by David Hume, that grounds knowledge in careful observation and documentation of the external world.

Rationalist Epistemology

An approach to knowledge exemplified by René Descartes holding that knowledge is deduced from first principles within the rational mind rather than sensory observation.

Cogito Ergo Sum

Translating to "I think, therefore I am," a famous rationalist argument by René Descartes proposing that thinking defines the core of identity and existence.

Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem

A theorem published by Kurt Gödel in 1931 demonstrating that even in the most rigorous mathematical system, there will always be truths that cannot be proven within that system.

Postmodernism

A 20th-century intellectual movement that views knowledge constructions as incomplete, temporary, and deeply intertwined with historical, political, and power structures.

Power/Knowledge

A term coined by French philosopher Michel Foucault to emphasize that ideas about the world and knowledge are inseparable from systems of social power.

Ontology

A domain of philosophy focused on the study of "what kinds of things there are in the world" or an inquiry into Being itself.

Germ Theory of Disease

An example of a radical ontological shift in healthcare where microscope technology allowed direct observation of microbes, creating new knowledge of previously unknown entities like bacteria and viruses.

Ethics

A normative branch of philosophy that explores what human beings should and should not do, governing standards and norms of conduct.

Theory

A group of interrelated concepts used together to understand a specific phenomenon in the world, such as health.

Social Ecological Model

A theoretical model developed by Bronfenbrenner in the 1970s holding that health status is determined by factors across intra-individual, household/family, community, and societal levels.

Health Belief Model

A theory holding that an individual's health behaviors depend on their perceptions of a disease's severity, personal susceptibility, and their efficacy to reduce risk.

Stages of Change Model

Also called the transtheoretical model, it views healthy lifestyle adoption as a process moving through precontemplation, contemplation, action, and maintenance.

Reciprocal Determinism

A core concept in social cognitive theory asserting that human beings and their environment continuously interact and influence one another.

Humanism

A philosophy calling for the primacy of human well-being, material living conditions, potential goodness, and agency in societal development over abstract theories or religious beliefs.

Agency

The capacity of an individual to take action and make changes in their life to advance their own best interests.

Anti-Psychiatry Movement

A late 20th-century movement led by figures like Franco Basaglia and R.D. Laing that drew from Marxism, Existentialism, and Phenomenology to challenge mainstream psychiatry and deinstitutionalize asylums.

Phenomenology

The philosophical study of lived human experience, holding that direct experience is how people come to know the world, prioritizing subjective accounts over external objective framing.

Humanistic Psychology

A movement in psychology pioneered by figures like Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow that focuses on conditions necessary for human growth, thriving, and self-actualization rather than inherent pathology.

Unconditional Positive Regard

A concept created by Carl Rogers referring to absolute acceptance in human relationships, essential along with genuineness and empathy for personal growth.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A framework structured as a pyramid outlining levels of human needs—physiological, safety, love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization—that must be met to achieve one's full potential.