Re: Words as commodity/client

From: renee hayes (emujobs@hotmail.com)
Date: Fri Sep 07 2001 - 13:35:20 PDT



Phil and Eric,

I am curious about tis exchange about the word "client."  I used to work in a group home that used what they called the "psychosocial rehabilitation" model of service, which they set in opposition to the prevailing medical model, where doctors deliver services to passive patients.  So for that reason they (well, we, I suppose) used the word "client" to imply a more active role on the part of the person seeking, rather than receiving, service.  This is my paraphrase of what I remember as their paradigm, my actual experience did not in many ways reflect this philosophy.  The actual practices to me seemed abusive, but definitely the terminology and the stated philosophy seemed progressive. 

Anyway, my question is, Phil, why are you uncomfortable with the word "client"?  This sentence should be read as simply a request and not a challenge, because I have no deep loving relationship with the word myself, I simply grew used to it and see it as a better alternative to "patient," given the context I explained above.

And Eric, why do you vehemently defend this word?  Again, I have been out of the "mental health" system for a long time, and I was only a case worker when I was in it, so please read this as a genuine question and not a challenge.

Renee Hayes




>In a message dated 9/6/2001 8:57:53 AM Central Daylight Time,
>phil.graham who-is-at mailbox.uq.edu.au writes:
>
>
> > By the way, I think the terminology of "client" is very unhelpful and quite
> > likely damaging. But that is another long argument for another day. Words
> > matter.
> >
>
>For those who receive monetary rewards based on word output, of course they
>matter. For those of us who need to relay concrete messages to individuals
>who have few contacts with the commonly understood concept of reality it is
>more important that we are understood by them then be viewed as 'politically
>correct' by those who drive the "word marketplace".
>
>eric


Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Oct 10 2001 - 15:49:09 PDT