Radical reflection as a theoretical framework in nursing using acquired immunodeficiency syndrome as example

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present a critical theoretical analysis of society's view of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. The method of radical reflection that was developed by Jan Thompson in 1983 is used as the framework of analysis. Through the five steps of Thompson's method (bracketing, historical recovery, critique, dialectical imagination, and negotiation), the dominant societal ideology of AIDS is identified, placed in an historical context, and examined through the process of Habermasian critique. From this knowledge, a more liberating type of social reality can be envisioned, allowing for the forging of a more egalitarian health care system. Radical reflection can be used by both professional and student nurses to explore and evaluate other health issues. Illness must not be approached and thought of outside of and detached from the major problems of society.