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CHAPTER 10 Kari Martinsen 157

• Relational means that caring requires at least two unit of soul and flesh, or spirit and flesh. The person is
people. Martinsen describes it thus: bodily, and as bodies we both perceive and understand.
The one has concern for the other. When the one Health
suffers, the other will “grieve” (in the sense of Health is discussed from a sociohistorical perspective.
suffer with) and provide for the alleviation of Two rival historical health ideals, the classical Greek
pain. . . . Caring is the most natural and the and the modern one of intervention and expansion,
most fundamental aspect of the person’s exis- form the background when Martinsen writes: “Health
tence. In caring, the relationship between people does not only reflect the condition of the organism, it
is the most essential element. . . . The essence of is also an expression of the current level of compe-
the person is that one is created for the sake of tence in medicine. To put it pointedly, the tendencies
others—for one’s own sake. . . . The point here is of the modern concept of health are such that if one
that caring always presupposes others. Further, has an unnecessary ‘defect’ or an organ which ‘could’
that I can never understand myself or realise be better, one is not completely healthy” (Martinsen,
myself alone or independent of others 1989c, p. 146). The modern reductionist health ideal
(Martinsen, 1989c, p. 69).
on which modern medicine is built is both analytical
• Caring is practical. It is about concrete and practi- and individualistic; it is oriented toward all that is not
cal action. Caring is trained and learned through “good enough.” Combined with medicine’s autonomy
its practice. and resources, it has yielded success in terms of treat-
• Caring is also moral: “If caring is to be genuine, ment. Martinsen is concerned with the point that this
I must relate to the other from an attitude (mood, ideology does not withstand critical examination.
‘befindlichkeit’) which acknowledges the other in Medicine’s sometimes damaging effects and insuffi-
light of his situation. . . . [We must] neither overes- cient service for people with chronic diseases and
timate nor underestimate his ability to help him- illnesses bring Martinsen to turn toward the conser-
self” (Martinsen, 1989c, p. 71). vative, classical health ideal. What is important is to
Caring requires a correct understanding of the cure sometimes, help often, and comfort always. This
situation, which presupposes a good evaluation of the requires society to offer people the opportunity to live
goals inherent in the caring situation: “Performing the best life possible and the individual to live sensi-
nursing is essentially directed towards persons not bly; both requirements have environmental implica-
capable of self-help, who are ill and in need of care. To tions. We must not change the environment at such
encounter the ill person with caring through nursing a speed and to such an extent that the change exceeds
involves a set of preconditions such as knowledge, our knowledge base; restraint and caution are
skills, and organization” (Martinsen, 1989c, p. 75). We required (Martinsen, 1989c, 2003b).
need training in all types of caring work. We must
practice and reflect alone and with others in order to Environment: Space and Situation
develop professional judgment. Caring and profes- The person is always in a particular situation in a par-
sional judgment are integrated in nursing (Martinsen, ticular space. In space are found time, ambience, and
1990, 1997a, 2003c, 2004b, 2005, 2006, 2012b). power (Martinsen, 2001, 2002b, 2002c). Martinsen
asks what time, architecture, and knowledge do to the
Person ambience of a space. Architecture, our interaction
It is the meaning-bearing fellowship of tradition that with each other, use of objects, words, knowledge, our
turns the individual into a person. The person cannot being-in-the-room—all set the tone and color the situ-
be torn away from the social milieu and the commu- ation and the space. The person enters into universal
nity of persons (Martinsen, 1975). In one way, there is space, natural space, but through dwelling creates cul-
a parallel between the person and the body. It is as bod- tural space. We build houses with rooms, and the ac-
ies that we relate to ourselves, to others, and to the tivities of the health service take place in different
world (Alvsvåg, 2000; Martinsen, 1997a). The body is a rooms. “The sick-room is important as a physical,