Abstract
Art has limitless definitions, meanings, and modes for presentation. It is a pivotal cocreation designed to provoke and stir up artists’ personal beliefs, values, and thinking. Art is uniquely received by those persons experiencing it in the moment. The author in this article illuminates the significance of the arts with the enduring ethical truths found in nursing paradigms and theoretical frameworks. The humanbecoming ethos is used to illustrate the importance of the arts in human living and its future implications for the advancement of the discipline of nursing.
Keywords
The word “art” points to divergent, historical meanings from the ancient Latin and Greek, where the relevant terms (ars and techne) referred generally to any skilled activity. No distinction was made between shoemaking and poetry; each was labeled as a craft. According to Collingwood (1958), changes in thinking began in the late 18th century, whereby a distinction emerged between the definition of the fine arts and the definition of what is considered to be the useful arts. The fine arts included such activities as painting, music, and literature, and the useful arts included activities such as carpentry, shoemaking, and tailoring, to name a few. Collingwood (1958) reminded us that the meaning of terms, such as “the arts,” change over time as societies and generations consider view differing forms or modes of what is considered to be an art very differently, with admitted limitless possibilities for what is yet to come. There are no necessary conditions or step-by-step instructions to be labeled an art; rather, it is the emotions of the artist that are of primary importance in the creation of what is art. It is the imaginative work that the artist performs that is so crucial to the continuing imaginative work.
In “What is an Art?” Tolstoy (2014) wrote of the infectiousness of art. He wrote that art is to evoke in oneself, by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds, or forms expressed in words, so to transmit that feeling that others may experience the same feeling, so as to hand over feelings he has lived, so that others may experience them as well. Art is inspirational for the persons experiencing insatiable moments wherein personal values and priorities are confirmed while others may not be confirmed or deemed as important. Since it has been accepted that the ongoing creation of art is an important element for societal beliefs and understanding, what is its role in science and the healthcare disciplines?
Historically, the definitions for what is art and what is science remains murky as members of the health sciences grapple with the notions that their professions are both art and science. What does this mean for the future of healthcare disciplines, including nursing? What should our ethical straight thinking contribute to our understanding of the concepts? The global medical humanities movement supports the ides that the arts have the potential to contribute positively to professional medical education. The premise of these programs focuses on the idea that the arts have potential benefits to enhance self-awareness and reflection on values and beliefs, supporting the learning of students and practitioners, and increasing understanding of what matters to them. Downie (1994) discussed how people learn by “imaginative identification” with fictional characters and thus enhance understanding of personal values and beliefs. Given the importance of the arts to healthcare disciplines, what are potential ethical implications for utilization of the arts in professional practice?
Bioethical Perspectives With the Arts
Traditional ethical viewpoints concerning art have evolved from the philosophical theories and principles of normative ethics. Bioethics courses traditionally teach medical and nursing students to view ethical dilemma situations in light of whether or not an ethical principle such as beneficence, justice, or non-maleficence is being supported or violated. Case studies, movies, and plays may be presented for analysis of themes. Students may be asked to identify and discuss which ethical principles are involved in the situation and what principles have potential for support or violation.
These situations or contexts may occur with artistic expressions as well. An example is when healthcare students grapple with new meanings and values unfolding with paintings, movies, plays, or other forms. Turner (2002) argued for an ethos of “place” focusing on architecture, interior design, and social activities within places. In this view, reflection involves thinking about what is respectful and humane in places that are shabby and dark, versus places filled with light, fresh flowers, comfortable furnishings, and interesting artwork. Such scenarios should provoke and prod the professional nurse into thinking about what items, actions, and alternative practices should be provided for others in respectful ways that enhance understanding. Is the shabbiness and the dark, smelly rooms of institutional wards evident of disrespect for others? How can art be used to enhance the quality of others’ situations with an ethos of respect?
Arts and the Humanbecoming Ethos
The discipline of nursing has traditionally followed the normative, bioethical model when engaging with artistic situations of the human experience. Healthcare professionals offer insights while attempting to justify actions by incorporating reasoning with the support or non-support of an ethical principle. It is important for the members of the discipline of nursing to acknowledge that there are other alternative views of art and nursing to consider. One such alternative viewpoint emanates from the humanbecoming paradigm where hermeneutics, as a mode of inquiry, is suited for sciencing living experiences in text and artforms (Parse, 2021). The humanbecoming horizon of inquiry utilizes “hermeneutic sciencing to focus on the interpretation and understanding that unfolds in the dialoging-engaging of nurse scholar with text or artform” (Parse, 2021, p. 103).
Humanbecoming hermeneutic sciencing focuses on the stated assumptions regarding the importance of scholar–text and scholar–artform dialogues, the interpretation of texts that are personal and perspectival. Newknowings arise with the interpretations and understandings that transfigure the scholars’ living experiences (Parse, 2021). Understanding this mode of inquiry requires scholars’ understanding of the humanbecoming paradigm and theoretical framework, intermingling with formal inquiry discoveries while being with art texts and artforms. The newknowings with emergent meanings from investigations add to nurse knowledge about the living experiences from a humanbecoming perspective. New depth of understanding with human dignity, the ethos of humanbecoming, arise in the newknowings (Parse, 2021). In analyzing scholar–text and scholar artforms, the enduring truths of understanding and reverence, awe, betrayal, and shame emerge at-once.
Art With Reverence and Awe
While engaging with artforms or art texts, the scholar discovers new ways of understanding reverence as a solemn regard (Parse, 2021). Reverence, shown as deep-rooted respect, may be evident in the lives of persons represented in texts, plays, music, the performing arts and representational pictures and photographs. As the scholar engages with the artform, questions may arise about what it means to have reverence and how reverence is represented in the artform. Nurse scholars may poke or prod with questions about meaning and the darkness or lightness of a painting or photograph. What are potential implications for nurses in their understanding of reverence that may be used in practice or education to stimulate understanding? As reverence unfolds, there is an unexplainable awe of humanuniverse existence.
In viewing the unexplainable and the mystery of humanuniverse existence, awe arises in surprise-filled moments in witnessing unique interpretations of the artform (Parse, 2021). The artform is never repeatable, always different in its meanings and possible interpretations. No two people can view the same piece of art in the same way—and so, with the enduring truth of awe, there is unique wonderment unfolding in every situation and engagement. Awe can be calming and frightening all at once, as differing meanings unfold. Awe beckons exploration and thus affirms human dignity, and the scholar nurse views individuals with an august presence—yet at-once offering questions to ponder the ways in which the ethos of human dignity may be affirmed and not experienced as betrayal for those who receive nurse services.
Art With Betrayal and Shame
Betrayal may unfold or become evident as meanings unfold in scholar-text-scholar-artform engagement. Differing words, intonations, and articulations may be uncovered as a violation of trust. With the violation of trust, a breach of confidence shifts as mistrust may become evident. The shifting trust–mistrust rhythms may be seen in the gazing of the eyes or the shifting of eyes to another place. Stories of trust–mistrust abound as the discipline of nursing struggles in its identification and prioritizing of that which is most important, honoring human dignity. As the public grows to potentially mistrust the healthcare systems, humiliation and shame may unfold.
Shame is dishonoring the worth of another; it is the unbearable experience of losing face with others where personal expectations were not met (Parse, 2021). Shame is cocreated in the moment, as feelings of guilt mount with a burdensome discomfort. Persons do not desire to be photographed or painted during moments of shame. It is too uncomfortable. Yet, the disappointments of those who are supposed to receive the best intended nurse services are often hidden from the public, and individuals experiencing shame may never be acknowledged for their actions or activity.
Students and novice scholars can learn important lessons regarding the powerful nature of disappointment and shame from different modes of art. Art is an influential tool that may enable–limit understandings and potential meanings for understanding situations of human dignity with the enduring truths of reverence, awe, betrayal, and shame. The opportunities for utilizing artforms for discussion and engagement are limitless for educators and practitioners alike.
