Science, technology, caring and the professions: are they compatible?

Abstract

There is concern expressed about the decreased level of caring in the professions today. Many factors have been proposed to explain this, but the present authors believe it is due to an overemphasis on science and technology. It is in caring that we connect with one another, are fulfilled and experience growth; a lack of caring diminishes both professional and client. The professional-client relationship is essential to the meaning of professional: therefore, a professional must care. Shifting our focus to a paradigm which includes both science and technology and caring allows us to see life's experiences and our interconnectedness in a new way. It is then that the truth will emerge that the essence of caring and profession are one.