SNHS 430 Spiritual & Religous Diversity At Work
As professionals in healthcare and related fields you will be interacting with many individuals (patients, consumers, clients, team members, colleagues, consultants, supervisors, supervisees, salespeople, your own students) and systems (families, departments, agencies, hospitals). Each of these provides an opportunity to connect, tend to and cooperate with those whose worldviews, beliefs, communication styles, values, attitudes, priorities, customs and behaviors may differ vastly from what you know, are used to and are comfortable with. How can you be an effective practitioner, colleague and leader under these circumstances? How can you successfully understand, develop realistic treatment plans, communicate and collaborate with people whose diversities in this area may be invisible, yet powerful? In this course we will examine the role of religion and spirituality - including atheism, secularism and humanism - in the work world, particularly health care. We will consider a range of traditions, including indigenous, Eastern and Abrahamic faiths. Our readings will draw upon scholarship in human development, religious studies and literacy, organizational psychology, leadership, law, health care/human services, peace and communication studies.