Description

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This book introduces readers to the ethical and goal-oriented functions of touch in professional practice. Touch is both an increasingly visible topic today and a core skill in many professions, especially in health, education and social work. This book combines helpful theoretical discussions and practical information, offering a balanced and culturally-informed introduction to an issue that both students and professionals often find difficult to navigate.

Chapters discuss the various functions of touch and its uses, giving readers a deeper understanding of the potential of tactile work practices. The authors offer clear legal and ethical guidance to empower learners. They discuss key issues such as harmful touch and the increasing digitisation of patient work. Activities, case studies and further readings promote learning and help readers reflect on their own relationship to touch.

This book is an invaluable resource for students in undergraduate and graduate courses in healthcare, nursing, education and social work, and to practitioners looking for guidance on this topic.

About the Author

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Dr. Taina Kinnunen is a pioneering scholar in empirical, cultural anthropological research on touch. Her previously published books include Strong Ones Manage Alone, Weak Ones on Each Other's Laps (2013) and Professional Touch (2019) with J. Parviainen, A. Haho and M. Jolkkonen (in Finnish). Dr. Jaana Parviainen is a philosopher and a senior researcher at Tampere University in Finland. Her philosophical expertise covers social epistemology, the philosophy of technology, phenomenology, professional ethics and body studies. Dr. Annu Haho is a lecturer at Laurea University of Applied Sciences. Since 2010, she is an educator, researcher and CEO at ProEt Ltd. She specializes in practical questions of nursing ethics, especially end-of-life care and palliative care, geriatrics, leadership and ethical decision-making. Her previously published book, What Suffering Teaches Us About Life? (2020, Tuumakustannus, in Finnish), focuses on the existential suffering of palliative cancer patients.