Abstract
The “Forum on a New learning Paradigm to Healthiness” project emerged from the impression that the current health-care system emphasized solely on the aspect of medical treatment after people falling ill. The learning process on health care is strictly in a vertical line, that is from “the learned ” to “the unlearned” and the general belief is that whenever one falls sick, one must go see a doctor. Hence one’s life and health focuses around one’s body, illness, and dependence on doctor, with regardless of other aspects of life and how they may affect one’s health. It currently comes to light that a number of diseases cannot be cured by modern medicine alone. Thoroughly regarding other aspects of health and life is likely to be the answer. The existing learning process, however, barred any other thinking frameworks. Nevertheless, when health problems increase, new learning outside the mainstream system occurred to cope with such problems in broader aspects of health, education, medicine, and lifestyle. The new learning process is acquired by both individuals and groups through various means such as using media, namely radio, book, and internet as well as taking action and practicing by oneself. It is interesting to study how these people have changed their views in taking care of their health and lifestyle. How they can cross over the old thinking framework. How they learn to view all things as a related whole. And how they come up with a new way in health-care based on self-reliance through various means and not clinging to any single approach. This research is divided into two parts. Part one is comprised of a framework of concept and an analytical observation. The framework includes the definitions of “paradigm”, “health”, “learning” and how they are related to one another. Also included here are what the old and new paradigms in health care and the working process of the research team. As for the analytical observation, it is the conclusion drawn from the case studies, that is learning process is quite unique and fit for each person’s way of life. There is no clear-cut pattern of learning. Part two consists of eleven letters written to a friend telling the detailed stories of each case study. They are as follows: Letter No. 1 explains the project’s background, objectives, and studying methods. Letter No. 2 tells the story of the case studies Kaew’s diary and Ae. Both are inflicted with HIV, but with different medical indications. They come from different family backgrounds, yet they lead a rather happy life. Kaew develops her learning process through the cyber world, while Ae learnt from a real life of suffering experiences. Letter No. 3 tells the story of a group of parents who use unconventional learning systems to solve their kid’s educational problems. Through this process they change their ways of life and gain a new idea about health. Letter No. 4 tells the story of special-need people and their families as well as doctors and therapist who work with them. The problems of this group are very complicated involving the aspects of medical, educational, and social status. Letter No. 5 is the story of two doctors, one suffered lethal disease, changes her way of thinking in health care in order to live peacefully with the serious illness. The other frustated with her working life, strengthens her mind to overcome the suffering by learning Enneagram. Letter No. 6 the learning process of a people who highly regards and inner life and practices dharma as a mean to change the way of thinking at Sathien dharmasatham and Chewakasem. Letter No. 7 is the story of a middle-class person who also focuses on an inner life, yet using yoga and, dharmayatra, a spiritual walk through the nature, to educate oneself. Letter No. 8 tells the lives of two folk scholars living in the countryside and with no conventional education. They use their wisdom to change a life crisis into an opportunity to learn new things and share their learning experience with others. Letter No. 9 is the story of a community-based social worker cum teacher, Kru Surin; and another story of a middle-class city woman who has the courage to lead a totally different life of a farmer. Letter No. 10 tells the story of two people with nothing in common. One is a “sick” person who seems to lack everything; another is a well-to-do middle class who dedicated his life to heal other people’s sufferings by MOA.(Mokighi Okada Association) Letter No. 11 is a unique life of a person who was born in primitive surroundings yet becomes a learnt man by studying with many scholars in various skills and become to be a holistic healer. In all, what presented here in form a conversation between two friends is and idea compiled from all the case studies. The research team can eventually says that the changing of each person’s thinking paradigm on good health care occurred in accordance with certain factors in each person’s way of life. Moreover, they need some practice to attain and insight to understand things as they really are. And this helps elevate them to a new paradigm of thinking.
