PATHWAY TO HEALTH 2

Critical Consciousness is the process of becoming aware of the forces in society that oppress people. Once a person becomes aware of the oppressive forces in society that hold them down, they can take action against oppression and injustice to change their situation. The process through which people come to feel more control over their own lives and take action to effect change is called empowerment. In other words, developing critical consciousness leads to empowerment. Coming to view yourself as important, worthy, and valuable is both a form of empowerment and an action against internalized oppression. Engaging in positive Health Behaviors is one way of treating yourself as an important, worthy, valuable, and empowered person.

For example:
Even though the person cannot find a job, they know that they are worthy and deserving of respect –> They decide to stop drinking to cope with their feelings, and instead to seek job counseling