Occupational therapy culture seen through the multifocal lens of fieldwork in diverse rural areas

Abstract

Background: Existing occupational therapy culture has not yet fully articulated diverse worldviews on occupation, health, and well-being and the link between them. Taking into consideration the diversity of the global world, incorporating different worldviews would be a valuable contribution to expanding the relevance of occupational therapy. Aim: The aim of this research was to analyse worldviews regarding human occupation and the link between occupation, health, and well-being among people from rural Honduras, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, and Ecuador. Methods: This ethnographic research used three methods, i.e. semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and in-depth interviews, to collect data from 27 participants in five countries. The material was analysed using a Grounded Theory approach. Results: One core category, “Occupations are social practices”, was identified and it included three subcategories: “Occupation, health and well-being as a personal and community experience”; “Co-occupations, collective occupations and collaborative occupations are the most important occupations”; and “Occupation, health and well-being mutually influence each other”. Conclusion and significance. The overall findings showed that taking different worldviews into account is needed for developing an occupational therapy culture that is useful globally and hosts diverse meanings and occupation-focused practices.

Key words:

• assumption
• culture
• ethnography
• global world
• intercultural

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the participants from the different locations for sharing their worldviews and experiences and for inviting occupational therapists to evolve personally and professionally. Their sincere thanks go to Petra Wagman for the helpful discussions and comments during the preparation of this paper.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.