Masters Thesis

Beyond fear shame and guilt: a new paradigm for health education

Intersectional Feminists are deeply informed by the interlocking systems and ideologies of power, privilege, and oppression foundational to both dominant U.S. social institutions and U.S. society. It is my assertion that the use of shame, blame, and scare tactics tacks in health education do not create healthier communities and it is only through a more holistic understanding of ourselves, our environment, and the systems of power that we can begin the process of sincere health education. This purpose of this paper is to point towards a shift from the predominant model of health education to one that centralizes compassionate communication. Social justice theories and activist will largely inform this model of health education. In this paper I assert that by creating a sustainable and adaptable peer health education program built on empowerment, liberatory education, agency, and the capacity to both recognize and meet the needs of a diverse array of people and communities, we can start to shift the collegiate health education model to one that is more effective and more importantly not actively harmful. Central to this concept is the empowerment of student's voices and needs in the context of a college campus community. In order to more fully address the health needs of students, health education needs to be viewed through a lens of social justice in order to understand the intricate ways identity is tied to the health of an individual and community. It is by this process that Humboldt State University has created a sustainable and adaptable multi-tier health education program that is responsive to our community and decentralizes the use of fear, shame, and guilt as motivators for change.

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