A Critical Caring Theory of Protection for Migrants and Seasonal Farmworkers

Abstract

Pesticide exposures represent inequities among a vulnerable population of migrant and seasonal farmworkers. A social justice theory synthesized from an environmental health research framework, a middle range theory of critical caring, and literature on pesticide exposure is presented as a situation-specific public health practice theory. Concepts from the physiological, epistemological, vulnerability, and health protection domains are related to concepts of critical caring revealing protective strategies for vulnerable populations exposed to pesticides. The key concepts are risk exposure, community assessment, transpersonal health promotion, community competence, and controllability. Protection from exposure involves raising awareness, critically assessing communities, educating for empowerment, building capacity, and advocating to ensure social justice. Critical caring protection is provided in a mutually respectful relationship that promotes responsibility at the individual and population levels.

Community-Based Participatory Research Guided by Critical Caring Theory

“…Thus far, the primary focus on the application of CCT has been on the development of the model and its application to practice (Falk-Rafael & Betker, 2012a, 2012b; Shearer, 2017). Specific research approaches to using CCT in a research context have yet to be advanced or developed.…”

Properties of Situation-Specific Theories and Neo-pragmatism

“…Because of the high specificity, the low level of abstraction in situation-specific theories could be natural. The specific populations that were targeted in the situation-specific theories included refugee women in cultural transition, 41 older South Korean adults with type 2 diabetes, 26 migrant farmworker women, 27 Korean Americans at risk for a chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, 34 migrants and seasonal farmworkers, 38 and so on. Indeed, about 67% of the theories were to explain nursing phenomenon among racial/ethnic minority groups including migrant farmworker women, seasonal farmworkers, Asian Americans, and Korean immigrant women.…”

“…29 The situationspecific theory for enabling safety 35 was also developed based on induction from a literature review and clinical experience (to develop an initial version of the theory) and reinduction from a literature review (to develop the final theory). The critical caring theory of protection for migrants and seasonal farmworkers 38 was developed based on induction from a literature review (to develop an initial theory) and reinduction from a literature review (to develop the final theory). The revised situation-specific theory of heart failure self-care 37 was also developed based on induction from clinical discussion, research findings, and discussion with international colleagues.…”

“…The situation-specific theory of Asian immigrant women's menopausal symptom experience in the United States 29 combined deduction and induction using a "Theory-Literature Review-Research-Theory" strategy (the middle-range transitions theory-a literature review-a research study). The critical caring theory of protection for migrants and seasonal farmworkers 38 combined induction and deduction using a "Theory and Theory-Literature Review strategy" (the Integrative Model of Environmental Health Research and the Falk-Rafael's Critical Caring perspective-a literature review). The situation-specific theory for enabling safety 35 combined induction and deduction using a "Literature Review-Practice-Literature Review-Theory" strategy (a literature review-clinical experience-a literature review-Ricoeur's ethical intention).…”

Critical caring theory and public health nursing advocacy for comprehensive sexual health education

“…Nurse researchers can further refine critical caring theoretical concepts, such as the work of Falk‐Rafael and Betker () that confirmed the importance and relevance of critical caring theory to the practice of PHNs. Shearer () incorporated the processes of critical caring theory to the development of a theoretical framework for migrant farmworkers, “critical caring protection concepts” (p. 8).…”