scholarly journals The (dis)obedient occupational therapist: A reflection on dissent against disciplinary propaganda

Author(s):  
Pier-Luc Turcotte ◽  
Dave Holmes

Abstract Introduction Despite struggling to establish itself as an autonomous profession, occupational therapy remains extensively regulated and controlled by discursive authorities inside and outside the discipline. After overcoming the profession’s reformist ideals, the military governance that supported its rapid expansion morphed into civil institutions but both were based on similar grounds: occupational therapists should obey a strict set of rules while disobedience and dissent are consistently repressed or silenced. Objective The objective of this article is to deconstruct dominant (consensual) discourses that shape the status quo in occupational therapy and envision alternative paths for the development of the discipline. Method Drawing on the work of Erich Fromm and Jacques Rancière, we propose a (critical) theoretical analysis of the concepts of disobedience and dissensus as they apply to occupational therapists. Results The concepts of disobedience (Fromm) and dissensus (Rancière) can be used to revisit the consensus shaped by discursive authorities inside and outside occupational therapy and expose the political nature of such processes. We argue that remaining oppressive forces similar to those of a warfare regime persist in regulating occupational therapy practice and knowledge by enacting a form of ‘disciplinary propaganda.’ Rather than threatening the development of the discipline, disobedience and dissensus constitute critical responses to disrupt dominant discourses and give rise to healthier concepts. Conclusion The use of politically charged terms such as disobedience or dissensus can be seen as controversial and unsettling for a profession like occupational therapy but we believe they are necessary for the future of our discipline.

Subject Outlook for the post-transition political system. Significance The August 7 constitutional referendum will be conducted under tightened controls on political organisation, making a 'yes' vote more likely. Although the Democratic Party criticises the draft for its attempt to return Thailand to a semi-authoritarian state, efforts by deposed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's 'red-shirt' supporters to organise protests offer the only real opposition to the junta's plan. This struggle foreshadows the political system that is likely to emerge after the next parliamentary elections. Impacts Regulatory risk to investors post-transition would be limited: the military, the Democrats and the PTP are pro-business. China will not alter the status quo in its Thai relations, but will need to invest in building ties with the next monarch. Washington will tolerate most eventualities, except a violent crackdown against the military's opponents.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Myles Carroll

This article considers the role played by discourses of nature in structuring the cultural politics of anti-GMO activism. It argues that such discourses have been successful rhetorical tools for activists because they mobilize widely resonant nature-culture dualisms that separate the natural and human worlds. However, these discourses hold dubious political implications. In valorizing the natural as a source of essential truth, natural purity discourses fail to challenge how naturalizations have been used to legitimize sexist, racist and colonial systems of injustice and oppression. Rather, they revitalize the discursive purchase of appeals to nature as a justification for the status quo, indirectly reinforcing existing power relations. Moreover, these discourses fail to challenge the critical though contingent reality of GMOs' location within the wider framework of neoliberal social relations. Fortunately, appeals to natural purity have not been the only effective strategy for opposing GMOs. Activist campaigns that directly target the political economic implications of GMOs within the context of neoliberalism have also had successes without resorting to appeals to the purity of nature. The successes of these campaigns suggest that while nature-culture dualisms remain politically effective normative groundings, concerns over equity, farmers' rights, and democracy retain potential as ideological terrains in the struggle for social justice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Cavaliere

The benefits of full ectogenesis, that is, the gestation of human fetuses outside the maternal womb, for women ground many contemporary authors’ arguments on the ethical desirability of this practice. In this paper, I present and assess two sets of arguments advanced in favour of ectogenesis: arguments stressing ectogenesis’ equality-promoting potential and arguments stressing its freedom-promoting potential. I argue that although successfully grounding a positive case for ectogenesis, these arguments have limitations in terms of their reach and scope. Concerning their limited reach, I contend that ectogenesis will likely benefit a small subset of women and, arguably, not the group who most need to achieve equality and freedom. Concerning their limited scope, I contend that these defences do not pay sufficient attention to the context in which ectogenesis would be developed and that, as a result, they risk leaving the status quo unchanged. After providing examples of these limitations, I move to my proposal concerning the role of ectogenesis in promoting women’s equality and freedom. This proposal builds on Silvia Federici’s, Mariarosa Dalla Costa’s and Selma James’ readings of the international feminist campaign ‘Wages for Housework’. It maintains that the political perspective and provocation that ectogenesis can advance should be considered and defended.


Author(s):  
Isabelle Torrance

Abstract Tom Paulin’s Greek tragedies present extremes of bodily abjection in order to service of a politics of resistance that is tied, in each case, to the political context of the drama’s production. The Riot Act (1984), Seize the Fire (1989), and Medea (2010), share a focus on the degradation of oppressed political groups and feature characters who destabilize the status quo. Yet the impact of disruptive political actions is not ultimately made clear. We are left wondering at the conclusion of each tragedy if the momentous acts of defiance we have witnessed have any power to create systemic change within politically rigged systems. The two 1980s plays are discussed together and form a sequence, with The Riot Act overtly addressing the Northern Irish conflict and Seize the Fire encompassing a broader sweep of oppressive regimes. The politics of discrimination in Medea are illuminated by comparison with similar themes in Paulin’s Love’s Bonfire (2010). Unlike other Northern Irish adaptations of Greek tragedy, Paulin’s dramas, arrested in their political moments, present little hope for the immediate future. Yet in asking us to consider if individual sacrifice is enough to achieve radical change they maintain an open channel for political discourse.


Author(s):  
Míriam De França Chagas ◽  
Magda Fernanda Lopes de Oliveira Andrade

Em 2008, foi criado, pelo Ministério da Saúde, o Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família (NASF), com o intuito de apoiar as equipes da Estratégia de Saúde da Família (ESF) nas redes de saúde e ampliar a ação da Atenção Básica da Saúde. O NASF é composto por uma equipe multidisciplinar e o terapeuta ocupacional é um dos integrantes desta equipe. O objetivo deste trabalho é o de conhecer a atuação dos terapeutas ocupacionais nos NASFs do município de Maceió, Alagoas, e suas reflexões sobre o trabalho desempenhado. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, sendo a coleta de dados realizada por meio de entrevista semiestruturada. Como resultados, foram elencadas três categorias temáticas: A atuação do terapeuta ocupacional no NASF: ações e atividades efetuadas; Os principais obstáculos encontrados pelo terapeuta ocupacional no NASF e As ferramentas tecnológicas utilizadas para a realização do trabalho no NASF. A Terapia Ocupacional ainda é uma profissão que busca seu reconhecimento no NASF. Visitas domiciliares, salas de espera e atividades em grupo foram identificadas como ações desempenhadas pelos profissionais, apesar das dificuldades como falta de recursos materiais e de uma estrutura física melhor. Este estudo serviu para enfatizar a importância do trabalho do terapeuta ocupacional no serviço, bem como as dificuldades encontradas por eles, citando assim a falta de reconhecimento/conhecimento da profissão, recursos e espaço. Apesar das dificuldades mencionadas, os mesmos sempre buscam realizar um atendimento humanizado, preocupando-se com os usuários, minimizando os riscos e promovendo a saúde. AbstractIn 2008, the Family Health Support Center (NASF) was created by the Ministry of Health to support the Family Health Strategy (ESF) teams in health networks and expand the action of Primary Care of health. The NASF is composed of a multidisciplinary team and the occupational therapist is one of the members of this team. The objective of this work is to know the performance of occupational therapists in the NASFs of the city of Maceió-AL, and their reflections on the work performed. This is qualitative research, and the data collection is done through a semi-structured interview with occupational therapists of the NASFs in the municipality of Maceió-AL. As a result, three thematic categories were listed: The work of the occupational therapist in the NASF: actions and activities carried out; the main obstacles encountered by the occupational therapist in NASF; at technological tools used to perform work in the NASF. Occupational Therapy is still a profession that seeks recognition in the NASF. Home visits, waiting rooms and group activities were identified as actions performed by professionals, despite difficulties such as lack of material resources and a better physical structure. This study contributed to emphasize the practice of the work of the occupational therapist in the service, as well as the difficulties encountered to know: citing the lack of recognition/knowledge of the profession, resources and space. Despite the mentioned difficulties, they seek to perform a humanized care, reaffirming principles and guidelines of the Unified Health System - SUS, to minimize risks and promote health care. Keywords: Occupational Therapy, Primary Health Care, Family Health. Resumen En 2008, fue creado por el Ministerio de Salud, el Núcleo de Apoyo a la Salud de la Familia (NASF), con el propósito de apoyar a los equipos de la Estrategia de Salud de la Familia (ESF) en las redes de salud y ampliar la acción de la Atención Básica de la Salud. El NASF está compuesto por un equipo multidisciplinario y el terapeuta ocupacional es uno de los integrantes de este equipo. El objetivo de este trabajo es el de conocer la actuación de los terapeutas ocupacionales en los NASF del municipio de Maceió-AL, y sus reflexiones sobre el trabajo desempeñado. Se trata de una investigación cualitativa, siendo la recolección de datos realizada por medio de una entrevista semiestructurada con terapeutas ocupacionales de NASF en el municipio de Maceió-AL. Como resultados, se enumeraron tres categorías temáticas: La actuación del terapeuta ocupacional en el NASF: acciones y actividades efectuadas; los principales obstáculos encontrados por el terapeuta ocupacional en el NASF; las herramientas tecnológicas utilizadas para la realización del trabajo en el NASF. La Terapia Ocupacional sigue siendo una profesión que busca su reconocimiento en el NASF. Las visitas domiciliarias, salas de espera y actividades en grupo fueron identificadas como acciones realizadas por los profesionales, a pesar de las dificultades como falta de recursos materiales y de una estructura física mejor. Este estudio contribuido para enfatizar la práctica del terapeuta ocupacional en el servicio, así como las dificultades a saber:la falta de reconocimiento / conocimiento de la profesión, recursos y espacio. A pesar de las dificultades mencionadas, buscan realizar una atención humanizada, reafirmando los principios y lineamientos del Sistema Único de Salud - SUS, para minimizar los riesgos y promover la atención médica.Palabras clave: Terapia Ocupacional, Atención Primaria de Salud, Salud Familiar. 


Author(s):  
Milka Marie-Madeleine Malfait

Throughout its history, Artsakh had to guard against the external threats of Neo-Ottomanism. At the present time it is especially relevant. September 27, 2020 marks escalation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh – which means Artsakh in Armenian. This led to six weeks of cease fire, humanitarian disaster, which killed many people and destroyed cultural and religious heritage of Artsakh. The mountainous region is surrounded by Azerbaijani land, although populated by Armenians. Due to the political novelty of this issue, the author employed analytical and descriptive method. The acquired results demonstrate that the history repeats itself in Neo-Ottomanism, which has been a threat to Artsakh and Armenia since its emergence until the present day. In recent years, the concept of reunification with Armenia, as well as the independence of Artsakh, outlined the prospects for the future. The third solution to the conflict became the ceasefire agreement of 9 November 2020, nobly negotiated by Russia to save Armenia from military collapse. However, this solution is more painful than the status-quo. The main conclusion consists in the statement that the international community should be more vigilant and prevent the expansion of such threats.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-49
Author(s):  
Ivan S. Grigoriev

Abstract Of the 206 amendments introduced to the Russian constitution and adopted on July 1, 2020, 24 deal directly with the Constitutional Court, its organization, functioning, and the role it plays in the political system. Compared to many other, these are also rather precise and detailed, ranging from the number of judges on the bench, their nomination and dismissal, to the Court’s inner procedures, new locus standi limitations, and the primacy of the Constitution over Russia’s international obligations. Most changes only reproduce amendments brought to the secondary legislation over the last twenty years, and are therefore meant to preserve the status quo rather than change anything significantly. At the same time, a number of amendments aim at politicizing and instrumentalizing the Court for the president’s benefit, marking a significant departure from the previous institutional development.


Author(s):  
Tara Forrest

This chapter focuses on some of the key intersections between the theories of cinematic realism developed by Siegfried Kracauer and Alexander Kluge. While, on the surface, their definitions of realism may appear very different, on closer view it is clear that both theorists are concerned with the role that a realist film practice can play in displacing the spectator’s vision and, in the process, facilitating a mode of perception that is not inflected by the ‘ideas’ and ‘value judgements’ that shape and delimit our experience of the present. Focusing on Kracauer’s Theory of Film: The Redemption of Physical Reality and on Kluge’s essays on the political promise of an “antagonistic” realist aesthetic, this chapter explores the role that a realist film practice can play in reanimating the viewer’s capacity to conceive of the possibilities of the future outside the parameters of the status quo.


Author(s):  
Torgeir Uberg Nærland

Practitioners and scholars alike assume that data visualization can have political significance—as vehicle for progressive change, manipulation, or maintaining the status quo. There are, however, a variety of ways in which we can think of data visualization as politically significant. These perspectives imply differing notions of both ‘politics’ and ‘significance’. Drawing upon political and social theory, this chapter identifies and outlines four key perspectives: data visualization and 1) public deliberation, 2) ideology, 3) citizenship, and 4) as a political-administrative steering tool. The aim of this chapter is thus to provide a framework that helps clarify the various contexts, processes, and capacities through which data visualizations attain political significance.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document