Philosophy, Theory, and Social Justice in Health and Human Services

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key philosophical frameworks, human services theories, economic critiques, and social determinants of health across all study materials.

Philosophy

Derived from the Greek words philo (love) and sophia (wisdom), meaning the "love of wisdom"; it seeks truth and develops the foundational concepts that guide human thinking.

Epistemology

The major framework of philosophy concerned with the study of knowledge, including what counts as knowledge, how new knowledge is created, and who determines what is true.

Empiricism

An epistemological approach, closely associated with David Hume and logical positivism, holding that knowledge is built through observing, documenting, and empirically verifying the external world.

Rationalism

An epistemological approach, famously exemplified by René Descartes's "I think, therefore I am," holding that knowledge is deduced from first principles within the rational mind rather than sensory observation.

Modern Philosophy

A movement in European philosophy encompassing empiricism and rationalism, deeply intertwined with the scientific method, logical positivism, and a view of the universe as a machine.

Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem

A theorem published by Kurt Gödel in 1931 demonstrating that even the most rigorous mathematical systems contain truths that cannot be proven within the system itself.

Postmodernism

A 20th-century philosophical movement viewing knowledge as incomplete, temporary, and constructed within specific social, historical, political, and economic power structures.

Power/Knowledge

A concept coined by Michel Foucault emphasizing that societal understandings of objective knowledge are inextricably connected to systems of power.

Ontology

The branch of philosophy concerned with what kinds of things exist in the world or the study of Being itself.

Ethics

The branch of philosophy that explores what human beings should and should not do; it is normative in nature because it examines norms governing conduct.

Humanism

A philosophy asserting that human well-being and material needs must take priority in science and society, emphasizing rational problem-solving, inherent human goodness, and agency.

Agency

A person's ability to take action and make choices or changes in their life that advance their own best interests.

Anti-psychiatry

A movement led by figures like Franco Basaglia and R. D. Laing that challenged conventional psychiatric approaches and asylums, drawing on Marxism, Existentialism, and Phenomenology.

Marxism

A social and economic theory originated by Karl Marx connecting human suffering and distress to capitalism, exploitation, and oppressive material conditions.

Existentialism

A philosophy associated with Jean-Paul Sartre holding that human beings are individually responsible for creating their own meaning and purpose in life rather than receiving it from external authorities.

Phenomenology

The philosophical study of lived experience, asserting that knowledge of the world comes through direct subjective experience rather than external expert observation alone.

Humanistic Psychology

A psychological movement led by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow focusing on the conditions required for individuals to grow, thrive, and fulfill their potential rather than assuming inherent psychopathology.

Unconditional Positive Regard

A core concept introduced by Carl Rogers referring to the absolute acceptance of an individual, which is essential for fostering personal growth and thriving.

Self-Actualization

The apex of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, defined as the realization and achievement of one's full potential.

Social Ecological Model

A framework developed by Bronfenbrenner asserting that an individual's health status is determined by factors across four levels: intra-individual, household/family, community, and societal.

Health Belief Model

A theory holding that an individual's health behaviors are determined by their perceptions of disease severity, personal susceptibility, and perceived power to reduce risk.

Transtheoretical Model

Also known as the Stages of Change model, a framework describing healthy lifestyle changes through four sequential phases: precontemplation, contemplation, action, and maintenance.

Reciprocal Determinism

A key concept in social cognitive theory holding that human beings and their environment exist in a state of continuous interaction where each influences the other.

Primitive Accumulation

Karl Marx's term for the historical processes—such as European colonization, land theft, and enslavement—that created the initial concentrated wealth necessary to construct capitalism.

Means of Production

Karl Marx's term for the non-human and human facilities, machinery, land, factories, and labor required to produce societal necessities, owned by the ruling capitalist class.

Contradictions (Capitalism)

In Marxist theory, systemic flaws where a society's operational reality undermines its promises, such as capitalism promising wellness while requiring workers to be paid less than the value they generate.

Antagonisms (Capitalism)

In Marxist theory, the inherent tension and conflict between capitalists and workers resulting from economic contradictions, which can lead to social strife and revolution.

Health Disparities

Preventable and unjust differences in the population-level distribution, incidence, and severity of disease across social identities and racial or socioeconomic groups.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

The conditions in the environments where people are born, live, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.

Personal Health Literacy

The degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

Organizational Health Literacy

The degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions.

Allostatic Load

An aggregate biological measure of the cumulative physiological wear and tear on the human body caused by chronic exposure to environmental and social stressors.

HPA Axis Dysregulation

Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a key biological stress-response system, resulting from exposure to chronic environmental stressors.