Jackie Taylor

Women's Leisure Activities, Their Social Stereotypes and Some Implications for Identity

An understanding of leisure as an area of occupational performance that can contribute to the individuals personal and social development is important to the occupational therapist. The knowledge bases from other disciplines, such as sociology and psychology, have much to offer in developing this understanding. Social identity and stereotype theories and symbolic interactionism suggest that leisure stereotypes may exist and could have an impact on identity. In order to test this concept, 12 leisure activities were used as a means to assess whether leisure stereotypes exist for women. Stereotypes consisting of between 4 and 11 words were obtained using the checklist method, with 40 participants contributing to each stereotype (120 participants contributed in total). The stereotypes were found to include characteristics that were both positively and negatively valued and, consequently, they had a range of favourableness ratings. All but one, golf, were positively evaluated images. The implications of these results are discussed, in the context of relevant theories from sociology, psychology and feminist literature.

An Autoethnographic Exploration of an Occupation: Doing a PhD

The systematic and detailed study of occupations is challenging to occupational therapists, who would wish to understand better their meanings and therapeutic value. Such a study must attempt to capture the complexities of occupational form and performance, recognising occupations as spatially, socially and temporally situated phenomena that are culturally recognised and individually experienced. Autoethnography is a methodological approach in which the researcher is the focus of the research. It offers a way of accessing personal experience by focusing on physical artefacts, documentary evidence and reflections, and so is particularly useful for studying the complexity of occupational engagement. With ‘doing-a-PhD’ as its focus, this study used autoethnography to explore the subjective experience of engagement with an occupation in order to understand better its complexity, meaning and possible therapeutic value. The findings are presented under six headings, which explore the personal and social aspects of the occupation, the ways in which it interfaces with the contexts of time and space, its relationship with other occupations and roles, and the process of transformation that it brings about. The limitations of the approach are discussed and the implications of the study for occupational therapists are proposed.

A different voice in occupational therapy

The majority of occupational therapists are women. The reasons for and the consequences of this situation are reflected upon In this article, in order to achieve a better understanding of the functioning of the profession within health care services. Recent feminist writings, in particular by nurses, psychologists and American occupational therapists, suggest ways in which being female and feminist can have a positive impact on the occupational therapists work.

Professionalism, prejudice and personal taste: does it matter what we wear?

Personal presentation is a way of expressing ones identity. The appearance of the student or the occupational therapist in the workplace is part of his or her professional persona. Discomfort and debate can occur when an individuals appearance conflicts with role expectations. It is part of the occupational therapy educators task to teach students the principles of professional behaviour and presentation. Based on a lunchtime discussion between three occupational therapy lecturers and underpinned by theory, this opinion piece presents some of the arguments surrounding the presentation of the self and what is required in order to work most effectively alongside the service user.

Expressing care in narratives about occupations

Introduction Engagement in occupations impacts on wellbeing, but this relationship needs to be better understood by occupational therapists. A focus on the meanings of occupations, rather then their purpose, might help further this understanding. Being meaningful, an occupation enables the individual to participate in society in a way that reflects personal and societal values. This paper explores how people can express personal values and caring in the narratives that they tell about leisure occupations. Method Seventeen serious leisure enthusiasts were interviewed and encouraged to talk about their chosen occupation. Narratives were extracted from the transcripts and analysed, giving attention to content, structure and interaction. Those narratives that appeared to have a meaning associated with caring were examined further in order to establish the types of caring that they revealed. Findings Thirty-one narratives were found to have a meaning associated with values or caring, relating either to a moral struggle, caring close to home or caring further afield. Conclusion For some individuals, the meaningfulness of their leisure occupations lies, in part, in using them as a vehicle to express care towards themself, towards others or towards the environment. This has implications for the uses of occupations in therapy.

Professionalism, Personal Taste and Social Inclusion: Does It Matter What Clients Wear?

An earlier opinion piece considered the professional issues surrounding the occupational therapists dress code within the workplace (Davys et al 2006). This second paper considers the role of the occupational therapist when a clients choice of clothing may conflict with social expectations and have a negative impact upon social inclusion. Three hypothetical cases that reflect clinical realities are presented, which serve as prompts for reflection upon informed choice, professional responsibilities and the therapeutic relationship. It is concluded that there needs to be debate about the conflict between each of these areas and the concept of social inclusion.

The development of a workbook to explore meaningful occupations after life-changing events

Introduction Following serious illness or other traumatic events, individuals can experience a disruption of identity. This is related to an altered ability to engage in the routines, interactions and occupations of everyday life. The meaningfulness of occupations and of life itself can be changed or diminished. Because engagement in occupations contributes to identity construction, a practical tool to systematically explore the unique meanings of particular occupations to an individual could be of value in helping to re-establish a positive way forward. The aim of this study was to develop such a therapeutic tool, based on a framework of ‘the occupied self’. Method A participatory design approach was employed to engage the expertise of potential end-users of the tool: six occupational therapists in cancer services and nine people living with cancer. The prototype ‘What Now?’ Workbook and associated Guidance Notes were incrementally developed over a period of 8 months. Results The workbook was judged by the expert advisers to be relevant, useful and user-friendly, with the potential to benefit carers, retirees and those recovering from life-changing events. Conclusion The final version of the ‘What Now?’ Workbook is now ready to be tested in practice.

Book & Media Reviews

Understanding Sports Culture. Tony Schirato. 2007. London. Sage Publications. 150 pp. AUS

Eudaimonic Well‐being: Its Importance and Relevance to Occupational Therapy for Humanity

44.36. Paperback. Rough Diamonds & Real Gems: Extraordinary stories of ordinary Australians. Rhylle. M. Winn. 2007. Camberwell, Victoria, Australia: Penguin Group. 245 pp. AUS

Occupational engagement, emotion and morality

29.95. Paperback. Mothering Occupations: Challenge, Agency and Participation. Susan A. Esdaile & Judith A. Olson. (Eds). 2004. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis. 406 pp. AUS