Occupational Therapy Roots: Decolonial View

Occupational Therapy Roots

• Moral claim emphasizes the importance of social concerns in occupational therapy
• Priority of social concerns is key to occupational therapy
• Equality and justice are fundamental principles in occupational therapy
• Meaningful participation is essential for individuals to engage in activities they value

Decolonial View in Occupational Therapy

• Dominance of Eurocentric biomedical approach has shaped occupational therapy
• Questioning taken-for-granted assumptions is necessary to decolonize occupational therapy
• Coloniality of knowledge, doing, and power has influenced occupational therapy practices
• Capitalism disguised as modernity has impacted occupational therapy

Marginalization

• Marginalization is a state where individuals are pushed to the periphery and assigned lesser value
• Historically positioned process drawing on difference and oppression
• Marginalization leads to social exclusion and lesser value assigned to individuals

Vulnerable Groups

• Members of households living in poverty are vulnerable
• People with chronic health conditions are vulnerable
• Infants and children exposed to maltreatment, conflict, and neglect are vulnerable
• Adolescents first exposed to substance use are vulnerable
• Minority groups, including indigenous populations, older people, and people experiencing discrimination and human rights violations, are vulnerable
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals are vulnerable
• Prisoners and people exposed to conflict, natural disasters, and other humanitarian emergencies are vulnerable

Occupational Therapy Response

• Occupational therapists should reflect on their practices and assumptions
• Explore and learn from marginalized communities
• Challenge dominant discourses and power structures
• Innovate and develop new practices that prioritize social concerns
• Advocate for marginalized groups and lobby for policy changes
• Inform and educate others about the importance of social concerns in occupational therapy

Explore the roots of occupational therapy, including moral claims, social concerns, and decolonial perspectives. Questioning assumptions and reviewing positionality to address marginalization.