Using Occupational Justice as a Linchpin of International Educational Collaborations.

When designing international educational collaborations, occupational science and occupational therapy educators must consider how occupational justice can be a linchpin for students' learning. This article describes an international collaboration involving 52 undergraduate occupational science students in the United States and 41 undergraduate occupational therapy students in South Africa. The students participated in six synchronous video conferences in 2016, during which they gave group presentations about four occupational science constructs and engaged in general question-and-answer sessions. Forty percent of the students provided feedback about the interactions using a six-item open-ended electronic questionnaire, which we analyzed using directed content analysis. Our findings suggest that the collaboration helped the students develop more nuanced understandings of disciplinary constructs, international peers, and themselves, providing a platform from which to engage with the big idea of occupational justice. Refinements to this collaboration are aimed at drawing on students' increased critical consciousness to further develop their knowledge about occupational justice.

Recovery From Substance Abuse Among Zimbabwean Men: An Occupational Transition.

Substance abuse is a rising global problem, associated with medical, psychiatric, family, occupational, legal, political, financial, and spiritual problems. Recovery is an important area of consideration in occupational therapy's quest to promoting health and well-being. This narrative inquiry explored the journey of recovery from substance abuse among young adult Zimbabwean men. Three men were purposively selected to participate in in-depth narrative interviews about their occupations during recovery. Data were analyzed using a narrative analysis. Explanatory stories and three superordinate themes illustrated how substance abuse was associated with both positive and negative outcomes. The recovery process emerged as an ongoing occupational transition, influenced by occupational identity and involving changes in occupational participation. Recovery from substance abuse can be conceptualized as an occupational transition. Ongoing participation in "healthy" and meaningful occupations is key factor in this process. Construction of a positive occupational identity is also central.

International community of practice: learning from experiences of community development and social occupational therapy / Comunidade internacional de práticas: aprendendo com experiências de desenvolvimento comunitário e de terapia ocupacional social

Abstract Introduction Increasingly, occupational therapists and scientists across the globe are calling for a shift away from individualised western medical approaches, to working with communities and collectives, and in the social field. This signals the growing motivation to engage in socially responsive and transformative practices that address political structures and oppressive colonial systems. Objective The purpose of our Community of Practice (CoP) was to explore and describe the epistemologies, vocabularies, and understandings that underpin community development and social occupational therapy within diverse global contexts to advance theoretical perspectives and practices. Method As a CoP of occupational therapy and science scholars situated in four countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, and South Africa), we met virtually bi-monthly from March 2020 to January 2023. Scholarly work involved critical narrative literature reviews, reflexive presentations, group dialogues, and individual and collective reflections and analyses. Results Individual narratives, four thematic threads, and a selection of vocabularies and epistemologies are presented. The thematic threads were: Connecting and making space for decolonial praxis, Questioning the disconnect between occupational therapy practice and contexts, Examining vocabularies that shape contextually relevant practice, and Engaging a reflexive stance to work towards equity, justice and social rights. Conclusions Generating knowledge that supports ways of knowing, being and doing reflective of multiple languages, sciences, and contexts will strengthen occupational therapy. Maintaining the pluriversal and resisting 'one size fits all' approaches to human occupation/everyday life is essential. This paper offers practitioners a catalyst for initiating decolonising praxis for learning across global contexts.

Resumo Introdução De modo crescente, terapeutas ocupacionais mundialmente estão discutindo mudanças das abordagens médicas ocidentais individualizadas para o trabalho com comunidades, coletivos e no campo social. Isto sinaliza uma motivação crescente para se engajar em práticas socialmente responsivas e transformadoras que abordem estruturas políticas e sistemas coloniais opressores. Objetivo Explorar e descrever epistemologias, vocabulários e entendimentos que sustentam a teoria de desenvolvimento de comunidades e da terapia ocupacional social, em diversos contextos globais para avançar em perspectivas teóricas e práticas. Método A partir de uma Comunidade de Prática de terapeutas ocupacionais e acadêmicos situados em quatro países (Austrália, Brasil, Canadá e África do Sul), nos reunimos virtualmente bimestralmente de março de 2020 até janeiro de 2023. Nosso trabalho envolveu revisões narrativas críticas da literatura, apresentações reflexivas, diálogos em grupo e reflexões e análises individuais e coletivas. Resultados Foram escolhidos quatro fios temáticos e uma seleção de vocabulários e epistemologias: Conectando e abrindo espaço para a práxis decolonial, Questionando a desconexão entre a prática da terapia ocupacional e os contextos, Examinando vocabulários que moldam a prática contextualmente relevante e Engajando uma postura reflexiva para trabalhar em direção à equidade, justiça e direitos sociais. Conclusões A geração de conhecimento reflexivo que sustente formas de saber, ser e fazer requer múltiplas linguagens, ciências e contextos que fortalecem a terapia ocupacional. É essencial manter a pluriversalidade e resistir a abordagens únicas para trabalhar com a ocupação humana/vida cotidiana. Este artigo oferece um catalisador para iniciar uma práxis descolonizadora de aprendizado em contextos globais.

Pedagogies within occupational therapy curriculum: centering a decolonial praxis in community development practice / Pedagogias dentro do currículo de terapia ocupacional: centrando uma práxis decolonial na prática de desenvolvimento comunitário

Abstract Introduction Critical occupational therapy aims to promote occupational justice through addressing the social determinants of health and the socio-political structures that affect peoples' occupational engagement. Objective This paper reports on two objectives from a case study, namely: To describe the teaching and learning practices in South Africa, University of Cape Town Occupational Therapy, Community Development Practice curriculum, and the pedagogy informing it. Method Multiple methods were used as data in the construction of the case. These included the review of curriculum documents and a focus group discussion with academics who teach on the programme. These academics also wrote reflective journal entries which were included in our analysis. Data was analysed using a critical interpretive synthesis. Results An overarching theme emerged, namely "Modelling a development processes in a teaching and learning alliance". This theme identified our key pedagogical approach, illustrating how a decolonial praxis that involves consciously resisting coloniality in the design and implementation of the curriculum occurred. This was made possible through pedagogical actions embedded in the approach and reflected in three categories: "Partnering to bring our critically reflexive and authentic selves"; "The labour of working with individual and systemic processes of struggle" and "Being committed to facing uncertainty together". Conclusion Our interpretation of our pedagogical approach within the curriculum demonstrates how decolonial pedagogies open up pathways that promote the kind of dialogic and transformative learning that is important for critical occupational therapy. These decolonial pedagogies hold significance for addressing health inequities and developing a justice-oriented profession.

Resumo Introdução A terapia ocupacional crítica visa promover a justiça ocupacional, abordando os determinantes sociais da saúde e as estruturas sociopolíticas que afetam o envolvimento ocupacional das pessoas. Objetivo Descrever e examinar a pedagogia aplicada ao currículo de Práticas de Desenvolvimento Comunitário, na Universidade da Cidade do Cabo (UCT), África do Sul. Método foram usados múltiplos métodos para a construção do caso. Isso incluiu a revisão de documentos e artefatos associados e uma discussão de grupo focal com acadêmicos que ensinam no programa. Esses acadêmicos também escreveram diários reflexivos que foram incluídas em nossa análise. Os dados foram analisados ​​por meio de uma síntese interpretativa crítica. Resultados Um tema abrangente emergiu, a saber: "Modelagem de processos de desenvolvimento em uma aliança de ensino e aprendizagem". Este tema identificou nossa abordagem pedagógica chave, ilustrando como uma práxis decolonial, abrangendo ações pedagógicas particulares, facilitou mudanças em direção à terapia ocupacional crítica. Essas ações pedagógicas foram refletidas em três categorias: "Parcerias para trazer nosso eu criticamente reflexivo e autêntico"; "O trabalho de desenvolver processos individuais e sistêmicos de luta" e "comprometer-se a enfrentar juntos as incertezas". Conclusão Nossa interpretação sobre a nossa abordagem pedagógica dentro do currículo demonstra como as pedagogias decoloniais abrem caminhos que promovem o tipo de aprendizagem dialógica que é importante para a terapia ocupacional crítica. Essas pedagogias decoloniais são importantes para o desenvolvimento de uma profissão voltada para a justiça.