Reflections on the well-being levels of professionals in rural and semi-rural areas : faith theoretical perspective

Abstract

This study evolved from an involvement with professional people in a rural and semi-rural environment thereby taking into account the role which the Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) plays in their professional context of work. Two underlying factors motivate the study. Firstly, that professional needs and capacities of faith, belief and spirituality are not been catered for in the EAPs. Secondly, that an African-Christian wholesome sense making approach provides more satisfactory answers to the lack of faith, belief and spirituality in the EAPs than the modern versions of the classic dualist and tripartite anthropological schemes of soul and body or soul, spirit and body. Furthermore, a wholesome sense making approach supports and tackles people’s wellness and well-being levels more satisfactorily than the classic dualist and tripartite views. An outline of an EAP in which faith leaders and consultants and their programmes are integrated and which contributes to the enhancing of well-being levels and performance management of professional people is described. The main focus of the study revolves around wholesome foursome experiential patterns in which alternating emphases of faith experience are acted out in the sense of ‘I believe God, I believe myself, I believe my human neighbours and I believe the physical natural environment’. This four side pattern of faith experience functions as an important theoretical assumption in the study. A second theoretical assumption has to do with the foursome processual framework of God’s grand acts of creation, reconciliation (redemption= cross and resurrection of Jesus), renewal (ongoing renewal of everything) and consummation and fulfilment towards the end (aim and goal) in which we as people and the physical natural environment are intrinsically and continuously involved. A third theoretical assumption revolves around the foursome experiential professional performance pattern of ‘I perform for God, I perform for myself, I perform for my human neighbours and I perform for the physical natural environment’. The foursome experiential patterns are also set as evaluative pointer patterns around which the empirical investigative part is constructed.