Introduction (Selecting the Concept)
The concept of empowerment is deeply rooted in the ‘social action’ ideology of the 1960s and the self-help perspective of the 1970s. Empowerment is basically the giving of power and authority, ‘giving ability to, or enabling’. (Gibson, C., 1991). In management practice, empowerment refers to the sharing of rewards, information and power with employees so that they become able to take initiative and improve upon performance as a result. Empowerment makes an employee feel responsible and accountable, as a result motivated to the actions that are done by them. Business Dictionary (n.d.).
Aims and Purposes of the Analysis
Whenever a concept like empowerment is talked about, one thing is certain- the subjectivity bias involved in giving the concept a formal definition. This results in many people or theorists assigning it a definition they feel most close to the kind of experiences that they have had. Hence, many different kinds of definitions exist for the same concept of empowerment. However, these definitions do lie on the same plane as rest of the theorists’ definitions. Exactness of definition is basically lacking.
Hence, from a learning perspective, the aim of studying an analysis of the concept of empowerment carries with itself many advantages. The reader is able to describe the theoretical and methodological construct from individual, collectivistic, as well as organizational and societal perspectives. When patient care and health is the key concern, empowerment and its analyses help on giving power and due authority to patient education in clinical settings as well as for research purposes. Judgmental statements and opinionated comments as a result help in further understanding of the concept since patient education receives empowerment (UTU.fi, n.d.).
Literature Review
Simmons and Parsons (1983) say that empowerment as a process is about enabling people to gain mastery over the situation they are in or the kind of environment they are functioning in. This can be the result of individual, personal, familial, community-related and even societal change.
The effect of social environment on health is another issue that needs to be paid due attention in the concept of empowerment. However, in a Western Society it is the individual that is considered the core or essence of functioning. The individual hence is the one who gives off influence onto other entities, which include his own personal decisions, health decisions and therefore all resulting successes and failures. (Gibson, C., 1991) Empowerment is a multi-dimensional perspective since it encompasses economic, social, political, cultural, as well as legal factors within itself. (Luttrell, C., 2007). Empowerment does not have attached to itself the various fundamental changes, however the existence of disempowerment is used as a basis of justification of all loopholes that create or area resultant of structural issues (Luttrell, C., 2007).
When empowerment according to Luttrell, C. (2007) is seen from the intrinsic versus instrumental perspective, empowerment is defined as a process as well as an outcome (there is hence an ‘either’ or a ‘both’ relation ship between the two). When the concept of empowerment is seen from the ‘process perspective’, it is found that it leads to focusing one’s attention on organizational building and increasing participation levels. However, when it is seen from the ‘outcome perspective’, it is found out that it leads to the focusing one’s attention on enhancements in terms of the economic factors and increasing one’s or the society’s economic resources positively (Luttrell, C., 2007).
Another definition proposed by the theorist has been talked about from the agency versus structure perspective. The ‘agency perspective’ is basically a due emphasis on ‘education and capacity building’. The ‘structure’ perspective emphasizes upon addressing inequalities that have an effect on the entire society (Luttrell, C., 2007).
Hence uses of the concept of empowerment include inner awareness, enabled potential, self-determination, outcome directed activities through motivation, and self-esteem (Goliath, 2008).
Defining Attributes
‘Empowerment is either a process or an outcome’. (Gibson, C., 1991). Through empowerment, entities (humans and organizations both) gain authority over what they do. The way in which however this is done varies and is dependant on situational factors. Empowerment needs to be studied as an analysis since it is a traditional concept that needs a lot of attention. It applies to individual demand, but is boosted through collaborative and cooperative efforts. The study of empowerment can also be termed ‘dynamic’, when the process of taking power from the ‘powerful’ and giving power to the ‘powerless’ is being studied. Empowerment also is a developmental concept as well as a dialectical concept. The former holds true when growth from the perspective of individual, family and community growth is being talked about. The latter concept holds true when extreme and varying positions in process and outcome are being talked about under the heading of empowerment (Gibson, C., 1991).
Empowerment is basically a concept that is a communicational concept since it is a result of communication between individuals. However mutual efforts are needed for it to work, according to Kieffer (1984). The different attributes through which empowerment gains attention includes the concept of empowerment being a collaborative process, and a helping process. It is also a cause of intermittent communication in the case of patient and nurse; it adds education, leading and mentoring through laying out a path or direction within it. It results in mobility of decisions and resources, which help in growth, and stability of functioning. (Hawks, J., 1992) The concept of empowerment also has the characteristic of improvement within it since as discussed in the preceding paragraphs, it is a developmental concept (Craddock, S. and Skinner, T., 2000).
Theoretical Definition of Empowerment
The theoretical definition of the concept of empowerment refers to the concepts of responsibility, power, enthusiasm, accountability, authority, reliability, liability, encouragement, and alternative. In nursing, empowerment is the social process encompassing recognition of, promotion of and enhancement in one’s abilities so that mobilization of resources therefore takes place. It highlights therefore the concept of exercising one’s own inner power through practicing the concept at the three levels of development (individual, organizational and community). Individual competence, self-esteem and high participation levels are a few resulting factors that are part and parcel of the concept of empowerment (Goliath, 2008). The definition of empowerment hence is the arousal of the inner sense in terms of power taking and release, which results in the collective benefit of the individual, the community and the organization.
Works Cited
- Business Dictionary (n.d.) Empowerment.
- Craddock, S. and Skinner, T. (2000) Patient Empowerment and Ethical Decision Making. 21 (3), 100 – 104.
- Gibson, C. (1991) A concept analysis of empowerment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, I991, 16,354-361
- Goliath (2008) Empowerment in adolescent obesity: state of the science.
- Hawks, J. (1992) Empowerment in Nursing Education. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 17, 5, 609 – 618.
- Kieffer, C. (1984) Citizen Empowerment. Prevention in Human Services. 3:9-36.
- Luttrell, C. (2007) Empowerment: An Overview Paper prepared for the Livelihood for desk, SDC.
- Rodgers, K. (1989) Concepts, Analysis and developmental of nursing knowledge. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 14, 4, 330 – 335.
- UTU.fi (n.d.) Empowering Patient Education.