Toward health equities, social justice, and emancipatory calls for knowledge development in nursing

Abstract

Knowledge development within the nursing discipline requires an exploration of ethical, philosophical, and spiritual contexts to make nursing a unique discipline within a health-care system. Intersectionality theory as a philosophical paradigm has a potential contribution to the nursing discipline and public health. Moreover, intersectionality is inevitably intertwined with various dimensions of knowledge development in nursing where gender and culture are therefore seen as large categories of knowledge construction. Adopting an intersectional approach that encompasses health equity, social justice, and emancipatory perspectives helps the nurse to gain a better understanding of the life contexts and experiences of the members of a marginalized group, which ultimately helps to enhance their health and quality of life. Therefore, it appears axiomatic that an intersectional approach could yield fruitful insights into public health and knowledge development in nursing.