Heidegger and parenthood: A theoretical and methodological shift from instrumental to ontological understanding

Abstract

Parenthood and parenting are concepts central for child and family health nurses and professionals. They are foundational to numerous nursing philosophies such as ‘family-centred care’ and ‘parent participation’. Yet our understanding of the meaning of being a parent remains difficult to articulate and is often operationalised as collections of assessable techniques and skills. We propose an alternative understanding of parenthood, based on the work of Martin Heidegger and his turn to poetry, that is more ontologically focused on the meaning of being a parent and valuable to nurses seeking to understand or research the existential core of this complex relationship. Alternative ways of understanding parenthood will help nurses grasp the complexities of family relationships they will encounter in practice. Researchers may also frame their investigations and explorations of parenting and parent–child–professional relationships in ways that do not rely exclusively on ‘technologies’ of parenting skills and techniques. Heidegger’s thinking opens up valuable ways of exploring, understanding and researching parenthood that can benefit nurses in clinical practice, education and research. In its ability to challenge the most fundamental of assumptions and to propose challenging alternatives, Heideggerian approaches to understanding the meaning of parenthood can help advance child and family nursing research and practice.