Hope in the Context of Serious Illness
Hope Thinking, Spaces of Hope, Hope Work, and hope as a pursuit of justice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/pl.v47i1.171929Keywords:
hope thinking, spaces of hope, hope work, serious illness, Hope as a pursuit of justiceAbstract
This article develops an interdisciplinary framework for hope in the context of serious illness. Drawing on psychology, existential philosophy and theology, anthropology, and critical theory, it examines four dimensions of hope: hope thinking, spaces of hope, hope work, and hope as a pursuit of justice. The article argues that hope is a complex and dynamic phenomenon unfolding across individual, relational, and societal contexts. Hope is linked to experiences of connectedness, temporality, and transcendence, all of which may be challenged by serious illness. Rather than reducing hope to concrete future-oriented hopes or goals, the article highlights how hope is shaped by past experiences, present living conditions, relationships, fears, and imagined futures. Focusing on how hope is recognized, experienced, and expressed can contribute to nuanced empirical research on the dynamics of hope when living with serious illness.
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