Jeny Rapheal
Research Scholar in Psychology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore
Black belt over white coat
Common
men have begun to attack professionals. Divine aura surrounding the
professionals is melting down. Times of India (daily) reports that AIIMS
doctors are going to get self- defense training. Doctor in white coat has to
secure a black belt in karate to ensure his professional security.
The
patient entering into the doctor’s cabin seeking service is getting a new tag---
likely to be violent at any time. Along with his disease the patient (or his
attendant) might be carrying elements of violence. The doctor might be attacked
at any time. Attention…!!
Inside
the doctor’s cabin anytime attack from the patient must be defended by martial
tactics of the doctor. When anticipation of an attack is in the air it
nullifies possibilities for building up a rapport. As the doctor is always in
defensive mood his empathy is not likely to flow as expected. The incompatible emotions
--compassion and fear ---choke doctor’s awareness of a life throbbing in the patient.
Doctor separates the disease from the
patient and treats the disease avoiding the patient.
Yoga for teachers
Teachers
too are in a defensive mood. Any student can file case against any teacher at
any time. Any sort of corporal punishment or mental harassment or any practice
that are likely to induce stress in students can put the teacher in the dock.
In
the classroom, a teacher is more or less in defensive mode. She practices
mentally supportive martial arts—like yoga for this. As yoga philosophy
advocates, she creates a comfortable “detachment” with students. She creates a lotus like posture in mind. And
just like lotus leaves do not allow drops of water to cling to it, she too doesn’t
allow anything from the student world to glue to her mind. With the ever
decreasing autonomy, she is becoming more or less a spectator, witnessing
everything in yogic sense of equanimity.
As
students are not advised to “see their teachers as gods” as advocated by
ancient Indian philosophy, teachers have to defend themselves from being
docked. So teacher punishes less and less and smiles more and more. She is
reluctant to enter into a particular student and explore him, but somehow keeps
herself in receptive mode when approached by needy students. Misbehavior from students is seen through the
grid of rules and regulations provided beforehand. Spontaneous emotional
interplay arising from a cordial rapport between the student and teacher gives
way to predetermined ways of interacting with students. Spontaneity in teacher
student relationship is dying.
Doctor, you are no more a secret
In
the modern world, the person at the receiving end of a professional service is
in a better position to sense negligence and detect lenience in professional
hands. The common man of modern technological era has clear answers to what a
professional is meant for and in what way he/she is expected to discharge his/her
duty. The mystic aura surrounding the professional service can never be maintained
in the time of internet and knowledge explosion. There can no longer be any professional secrecy
to defend professionals.
A
common man can verify the authenticity of the diagnosis and the accuracy of
medicines prescribed by the doctor just by a click on the mouse of his desktop
or laptop. Doctors’ world is open to anybody. Anybody can amass standards to assess
the service of a doctor and raise his voice against negligence in the service
extended to him and come out with evidences that validate a legal inquiry into
it.
But,
if negligence from a professional hands result in death, the common man cannot
wait for a legal route to calm his sense of loss and grief. He must attack the
cause to quench his grief. In this juncture professional doctor’s social skills
can protect himself from being attacked. The doctor must be able to communicate
in common man’s language what has caused death in case it is not his
negligence. For this, a doctor must be trained in social-emotional skills for
this. No amount of martial training is needed for this.
Teacher, you are no more intangible
Common
men spot, negligence in teaching professional mainly through comparison. To determine whether a particular teacher is
loyal to his daughter or son a common man need not master any pedagogical
skills. He can just compare the teaching practices in a bunch of schools in his
locality. Whether certain practice in the classroom is justifiable can be
assessed just by observing schools within his reach. Proliferation of
educational institutions has made this task of comparison so easy and even
sitting in the home a parent can clarify whether his/her ward is getting their
due in educational institutions.
Electronic
era has empowered parent world in such a way that each parent is in a position
to detect even traces of negligence a teacher commits. No wonder that teachers
are losing their God like mystical aura. Right to information act is for those
who set out for legal route and attempt for a corrective measure. And nowadays
a lot many laymen are relying on RTI.
In
this juncture teachers have no option but commit themselves to excellence and
explore novel ways of executing their professional duties. Here also those who
stick to outdated ways and show resistance to change are more likely to be
attacked by common men whose expectations come into conflict with what a
teacher can offer as a professional.
Why they attack?
Failure to fulfill expectations:
Physical assault towards professionals arises when a professional fails to come
up to the expectations of common men. Though it is difficult to cater to
unrealistic expectations, professionals must go into the reasons that create
unrealistic expectations of common men. Every common man at the receiving end
of a professional service longs for apt excellent service in return for their
paid money.
A single case of negligence is enough:
Professionals are viewed as community by common man. According to him, professionals
are of a different breed. “Fidelity” that the common man has bestowed upon
professionals is like religious beliefs. Single scientific evidence is enough
to destroy many blind religious beliefs. Just like the Sun and Moon lost their
god status when the science dawned upon common men, one or two negligence takes
away the fidelity in the infallible dedication of professionals towards
society. Divinity attributed to their professional call shatter into pieces. Any
pronounced negligence by one professional is viewed by the common men as
permeating into the behavior of the entire professional community.
Low tolerance for uncertainty:
Every common man is well aware of the subjective nature of professional service
like teaching and health care. And they know that success of service not wholly
lies in the provider of the service. Still, they unleash attack on the
professionals just because their willingness to comply with uncertainty has
reduced considerably.
Lack
of fidelity lowers tolerance for uncertainty and there is an increased chance
for attributing fatal outcomes of professional service to the negligence of the
professional. In June, times of India daily reported that health care errors are
the 8th leading cause of death in the world and 61% of doctors have
been sued at the fag end of their career. Reading this report, how can a
patient enter into the operation theatre entrusting his breath in the doctor’s
hands?. When the patient is declared as “no more” near and dear ones agitate
with paranoiac thoughts and the possible negligence of the doctor will be one
of the causes they attribute as the reasons for the death. And some act upon
it. This outburst manifests as a direct attack on the doctor.
Some doctors are not doctors some
teachers are not teachers: In the modern world all doctors do
not deserve to be doctors. Two streams of professionals are there. Merit and
money are the two pathways to become a professional. Common man’s awareness is
not oblivious to this fact. He is in a position to compare who really deserves
to be addressed as a doctor.
What
differentiates a teacher who began her career with the money she handed over to
the school manager from those whose merit made them teachers? Though common man
is not able to articulate this difference in academic terms, when the said
difference pronounce it through negligence or dereliction of duty in teaching
the common man will question the professional dignity attributed to the
teaching community. Remember, this is a country where teachers are being fired
on charges of child abuse (including sexual). As mentioned above the entire
teaching community will bear its brunt as inevitable erosion of trust in
professional service is the end result.
In
health care service there arises disgust against doctor community and “never
trust the diagnosis of the first doctor” is the norm. Consulting at least three doctors before
entering into treatment is becoming a usual practice at least among people
belonging to better socioeconomic groups.
The way out
·
Reinstate the lost professional dignity by
committing to the core professional values.
·
Establish professional excellence by
committing to personal growth and keeping abreast with social changes and
demands.
·
Regain accountability by adhering to
objective standards and norms of meritocracy in recruiting professionals.
·
Train professionals in social-emotional
skills rather than martial arts to deal with unrealistic expectations of common
men.
Author details
Jeny
Rapheal
Research
Scholar in Psychology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore
