Occupational Engagement

Hi everyone,

Today I am exploring occupational engagement and what occupation means to people.  To explore occupational engagement I will reflect on a fieldwork experience I had in my first year of study, and talk about what occupation holds for people, particularly what people experience from engaging in occupation, namely doing belonging, becoming and being.

One of my first year fieldwork placements was in an Older Persons and Out-patients Rehabilitation Team (OPORT).  Through the placement I got to observe how occupational therapists assist patients in the community.  I saw the valuable work occupational therapists did in helping patients:

· re-establish life after experiencing surgery, illness or injury;

· maintain or improve their quality of life, including their independence within the home and participation in community.

It also gave me the opportunity to perform a number of functional assessments, install adaptive equipment, and assist patients to re-engage with normal Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), social, and recreational activities.  Engaging in this fieldwork placement enabled me to experience how occupational therapy can change people’s lives and what engaging in occupational therapy means to the patients.

My fieldwork experience with the local hospital OPORT helped cement the idea that occupation is more than just about doing something purposeful or productive.  I realised that occupation is a synthesis of:

· Doing, which is described as a purposeful performance of an action.  It refers to when people do activities to obtain knowledge and acquire expertise.  Doing provides a sense of entertainment and fulfilment, as well as affirming self-worth and competence (Collins English Dictionary, 2007; Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2009; Curtin, 2010; Rowles, 1991; Wilcock, 1998).

· Belonging, which is described as a sense of feeling valued and included.  It is about experiencing relationships, and a sense of a connectedness with society (Collins English Dictionary, 2007; Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2009; Curtin, 2010).

· Becoming, which is defined as a process of change over a period of time (Collins English Dictionary, 2007), or as a noun “... a coming to be” (Wilcock, 1998, p251). Becoming refers to exploring new ideas or opportunities, envisioning a future self or a new way of life, and thinking of how one can contribute to society and themselves. It is about making choices about which pathways to take (Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2009; Curtin, 2010; Wilcock, 1998).

· Being, which is described as the “contemplation and enjoyment of inner life” (Wilcock, 1998, p250).  Being is about being reflective and introspective, as well as being true to oneself (nature, values and beliefs).  It is about contemplation, rediscover of self, and developing new appreciation for life (Collins English Dictionary, 2007; Curtin, 2010; Rowles, 1991; Wilcock, 1998).

Because occupation is a fusion of doing, belonging, becoming, and being, occupation holds different meanings for different people.  Consequently, in order to experience a sense of wellness or wholeness, occupational therapists believe people need a balance among occupations to ensure a balance between the four concepts.  To illustrate doing, belonging, becoming, and being, I have added a slideshow to this posting.  The slideshow presents images of adaptive equipment used to assist people to engage in different occupations (Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2009; Curtin, 2010; Wilcock, 1998).

 

The Meaning of Occupation

In creating the slideshow, I had to consider several ethical issues surrounding the use of the images, namely copyright, privacy and informed consent.

· Copyright law:  Since I used photos I took of myself and photos I downloaded off the internet, which are classified as common material as they are located in the public domain, copyright was not an issue (Copyright council of New Zealand, 2012; Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2009; Curtin, 2010).

· Privacy law:  In regards to the photos downloaded from the internet, privacy of the individuals in the photos was not an issue as they are deemed to be common material.  The photos of me were taken by me, and after careful consideration I chose to use them in this slideshow (Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2009; Curtin, 2010; Privacy Commissioner, n.d.).

· Informed consent:  because the photos downloaded from the internet are classified as common material, no informed consent was required.  In regards to the photos I took, as they were taken in a family member’s home, I sought their informed consent to use the photos for the slideshow (Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2009; Curtin, 2010; Privacy Commissioner, n.d.).

References

Collins English Dictionary.  (2007).  Glasgow, United Kingdom:  HarperCollins Publishers. 

Copyright council of New Zealand.  (2012).  Retrieved from
    http://www.copyright.org.nz/basics.php/

Crepeau, E., Cohn, E., & Schell, B. (2009).  Occupational therapy (11^th ed.).  Baltimore,
    United States:  Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Curtin, M. (2010).  Enabling skills and strategies.  In M. Curtin, M. Molineux, & J. Supyk-
    Mellson (Eds.), Occupational therapy and physical dysfunction:  Enabling occupation (6^th
    ed.), (pp.111-124).  London, Great Britain:  Elsevier Limited.

Privacy Commissioner.  (n.d.).  Retrieved from http://privacy.org.nz/

Rowles, G., D. (1991).  Beyond performance:  Being in place as a component of 
    occupational therapy.  The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45(3), 265-271.

Wilcock, A., A. (1998).  Reflections on doing, being, and becoming.  Canadian Journal
    of Occupational Therapy, 65(5), 248-256.