Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Approaches To The Study of Man
Approaches To The Study of Man
1. Atomistic Approach
Views man as an organism composed of different organ systems, each
system composed of organs and each organ composed of tissue cells.
2. Holistic Approach
Views man as a whole organism with interrelated and interdependent parts
functioning to produce behavior unacceptable or acceptable to him or
society.
IMPORTANCE: Atomistic and Holistic approaches are useful in the planning of care of
the individual during illness or in its prevention.
Man is a living organism who from birth is destined to die. As he lives, he has to
contend continually with the forces in his environment, be it friendly or hostile. The
environment influenced man’s behavior as an individual.
In life, cellular behavior is the simplest functional unit. The cell is the basic unit or
building blocks of structure of all forms of plant and animal life. The human body
composed of trillions of cells. Each of these cells carries out precise and specialized
functions that interweave harmoniously with the activities and functions of other cells in
the body.
The subordinate system is important in carrying out daily life activities that are vital to
survival. Man’s feeling of well-being each day depends on the condition on various
organ system.
As man enlarges his interaction with his environment, his behavioral responses become
more complex and variable.
2. Man as a whole is different from and more than the sum of his component
parts
Organismic Behavior
Refers to those observable features and actions that reflects man’s
functioning as a unified whole within the environment in which he exist.
Reflects the dynamic changes that occur in him as a result of alterations he
has made or has met me his internal or external environment.
B. Man as a System
Buckley’s definition
Whole which function as a whole by virtue of the interdependence of its
parts?
It has common or unifying boundaries with interrelated and interdependent
parts.
It is composed of subsystems. Each is designed to carry out an activity
which in turn is necessary fro achieving the general purpose of the system.
Closed System:
Self-sufficient, totally isolated from other systems.
It does not allow outside stimuli in any from penetrating its boundaries.
It does not allow anything from within it to go beyond its boundaries.
Life sustaining elements cannot enter, uses its reserves for energy-
eventually fails to function and disintegrates.
Open System:
Exchanges matter, energy or information with the environment
It is directly affected by events or changes in other systems.
A person is viewed as a living behavior system. The metabolic, the growth
and the total processes of living are involved in the interchange of energy,
matter or information among parts of the living organism, and between the
living organism and its environment.
MAN AS A PSYCHO-BEING
Travelbee describes man as a unique, irreplaceable individual, a one time being in this
world.
Characteristics of Man:
1. Alike yet unalike.
2. Shows limited and unlimited nature.
3. Creature of contradiction.
4. Rational being yet irrational at times.
5. Maturity with core of immaturity.
The spirit of man gives him life to his human body. Without the spirit, man does
not know the reason for his existence on this earth.
Man believes that his life is governed by a power greater than he. He pays
obedience to this supreme power regularly or infrequently, the frequency
dependent on man’s whims, caprices or feelings of despair whenever hit by
adversity.
SPIRITUAL VIRTUES:
Faith: Unquestioning belief in someone or something; complete trust or
confidence or reliance one places in a person or thing.
Hope: Nourishes faith; vital factor in health care setting. Its absence or
presence often plays a part in determining the patient’s prognosis or illness,
state of wellbeing and acceptance of the dying process.
Charity: Love of man for his fellowman; enables him to overcome
frustration because of love for another. Love makes one do things for
another without complication. It allows one to give up one’s pleasure while
serving another without even thinking of the sacrifice it entails.
NEED
Something that is essential to the emotional and physiologic health and survival
of humans
Something that is desirable, useful or necessary to maintain well-being and life.
Things required by human beings in order to maintain physiologic and
psychologic homeostasis
Requirements for well-being.
Maslow’s framework of basic needs is based on the theory that something is basic
need if:
Its absence results in illness
Its presence prevents or signals health
Meeting an unmet need restores health
The central theme “humans have urged to grow and to attain their highest level
potential”
According to Maslow, needs at one level must be first met before the needs on the
next level can be met.
Physiologic Needs:
Referred as the basic needs
Physical needs that are inherent in all human beings.
These must met at least minimally for life to continue. Below the level of
subsistence death will occur.
Safety/Security Needs:
Both physiological and psychological
Need for shelter and freedom fro harm or danger
Need for awareness, sureness, familiarity and trustworthiness in people,
things, places and events.
Self-Esteem Needs:
Derived largely from the feeling that we are valued by those around us.
Self-esteem also comes from within – it is related to the assessment of our
own adequacy , our performance and our capacity in the various arenas of
lives both personal and professional and others hold on high regard.
Esteem from other.
Self-Actualization Needs:
The need to reach one’s potential through development of one’s unique
capabilities
The process of self-actualization is the one that continues throughout life.
Qualities that indicate achievement of one’s potential:
Acceptance of self and others as they are
Focus of interest or problems outside of self
Ability to be objective
Feelings of happiness and affection fro others
Respect for all persons.
Ability to discriminate between good and evil
Creativity as guideline for solving problems and carrying out interest.
State of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.
WELLNESS
MODELS OF HEALTH
A. CLINICAL/MEDICAL MODEL
D. EUDOMONISTIC MODEL
F. HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUA
Health is state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease.
Health Status
State of health of an individual at a given time. Term may refer to describe the
individual’s problem in general (anxiety, depression, or acute illness).
It can also describe such specifics as pulse rate or body temperature.
Health Beliefs
Concepts of health that an individual believes are true. Such beliefs may or may
not be founded on fact. Some of these are influenced by culture
Health Behaviors
The actions people take to understand their heath state, maintain an optimal state
of health, prevent illness and injury, and reach their maximum physical and
mental potential.
This is intended to prevent illness or disease or to provide for early detection of
disease
FACTORS AFFECTING HEALTH & ILLNESS
I. Biologic dimension
Genetic make-up, age, sex and developmental level all significantly
influence a person’s health
V. Socio-cultural dimension
Standard of living (reflecting occupation, income and education),family’s
lifestyle and patterns of daily living, culture and social interaction
influences how a person perceives, experiences and copes with health and
illness.
I. POLITICAL FACTOR
Involves one’s leadership, how one rules, manages and involves other
people in decision making
The sum total of all conditions and elements that make up the
surroundings and influence the development of an individual.
V. SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTOR
Refers to the production activities, distribution and consumption of goods
of an individual
ILLNESS
DISEASE
B. Chronic Illness – is the one that last for a extended period, usually 6 six
months or longer and often fore the person’s life.
Usually have slow onset and often have periods of remission, when
the symptoms disappear, and exacerbation, when the symptoms
reappear.
ILLNESS BEHAVIORS
LEVELS OF PREVENTION
Edelman and Mandle (2002) Prevention in a narrow sense, means avoiding the
development of disease in the future and in a broader sense consist of all
interventions to limit the progression of a disease
I. PRIMARY prevention