SAFETY SERVICES
JILL HEINERTH
CHOOSING SAFETY B Y
The social context is an essential reality of recreational diving. Setting and following good examples is a responsibility of all divers. 60 |
2021 SPECIAL EDITION
K A R L
S H R E E V E S
IN MANY WAYS WE DO HAVE A CULTURE OF DIVE SAFETY: Even though we sometimes see departures from recommended practices, the incident rate would be far higher were the cultural norms in diving less focused on safety. Still, we are always striving to improve, and to that end I think it’s worth looking at how “affective” education can help promote our cultural safety values. Affective education is concerned with values, attitudes and how we teach people to make good choices. Teaching knowledge and skills can be fairly straightforward, but it is much more difficult to influence how people apply their skills and knowledge. For example, school systems teach children about the risks of smoking, and almost all students demonstrate that they understand these risks when tested. Nonetheless, every year, as illogical as it is, a substantial number of youths take up smoking. Why? Role-model behavior is one of the most important influences on people’s decisions. Within any culture, people tend to follow the example of respected leaders, so it makes sense that
