Awareness is a word that is used in different areas. In general terms, according to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) in the dictionary of the Spanish language, this word serves to refer to the act and consequence of becoming sensitive or causing someone to become sensitive.
In the field of biology , meanwhile, it refers to a mechanism based on the appearance of an intense immune response as a reaction to contact with an antigen. In psychology , likewise, the concept of sensitization is used to identify a type of pre-associative learning evidenced by a marked organic response to a certain stimulus already perceived or detected on repeated occasions.
Promoting awareness campaigns at a global level and developing initiatives aimed at raising awareness among various sectors of the population regarding certain realities or problems is extremely necessary and important. Practice shows that talks , workshops and activities that make visible certain situations associated with injustice , states of vulnerability , health problems, discrimination , etc. are useful to generate solidarity , empathy and cooperation , for example.
Types of awareness
Depending on its field of application, the issue to which it refers and the particularities it has in terms of format, presentation or structure of the strategy being proposed, awareness-raising falls into different categories.
It is possible to distinguish, broadly speaking, between an awareness-raising process or plan with a participatory approach and theoretical awareness-raising that is based on data to form knowledge.
If it is addressed within the scope of health, specifically, names such as central sensitization may gain notoriety - as appropriate - (as defined as a pathological issue marked by hyperexcitability of neurons when faced with the detection of a peripheral stimulus, signals linked to pain being amplified in this framework) or immunological sensitization , to name two possibilities.
On the other hand, there are organizations, institutions and people who, on a voluntary basis, work with commitment and responsibility to raise awareness around issues of diversity and gender equality , human rights , care for the planet and other relevant topics on a universal scale. .
Importance
The main objective of an action or awareness campaign is to awaken noble values and feelings . The content and efforts of this deployment must be oriented towards individual/group/community awareness about a given reality so that more and more people become involved in some way to modify that complicated or unwanted scenario through behaviors, attitudes or conduct. favorable .
To increase the chances of success of an awareness-raising event, it is necessary to outline a clear message, precisely define a transmission or communication strategy, and know exactly which audience it will target.
There are many talks , exhibitions , workshops and even competitions for awareness-raising purposes. Through testimonies, information and the invitation to assume an active role in what is heard or observed, the aim is to incite feelings and emotions that translate into the decision to volunteer or make a donation (whether money, time, etc.). material goods, etc.), to indicate the most common alternatives.
Examples of awareness
From everyday life, corporate actions and events organized by associations or institutions, multiple examples arise related to the search for social awareness .
When it comes to making a kind of call to the population's attention so that individuals understand the difficulties that people with different abilities face on a daily basis, to detail one possibility, everything from information sessions and workshops to ventures that They demonstrate the potential, talent, virtues and strength of self-improvement of subjects who struggle every day to adapt to a world that seems not to be designed or prepared for them. Acceptance , appreciation and respect multiply when cases are exposed of human beings who perhaps do not have the privilege of seeing, walking, hearing, speaking or having all their limbs healthy and, nevertheless, have found a way to live with happiness , independence , and dignity .
Many students, meanwhile, often take advantage of the reach of social networks to carry out solidarity projects and make visible practical awareness -raising work regarding important issues to address such as gender violence and discrimination . Education , dialogue and constant prevention actions are key to achieving a more just, healthy and tolerant society. Values and good customs must be taught and instilled at home through example and family support, while in educational settings these teachings must be reinforced and favorable spaces created so that students, from an early age, can build harmonious and respectful.
At the government level, meanwhile, it is common to present awareness campaigns aimed at preventing suicides , the importance of carrying out medical check-ups and periodic controls for early detection of a certain disease or combating discrimination .