scholarly journals Re-orienting occupational therapy: Embracing generative disruption and revisiting a posture that acknowledges human dignity

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roshan Galvaan
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
Therapy Services ◽  
Difficult Dialogues ◽  
Occupational Justice ◽  
The One

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Amidst the Covid-19 lockdown that commenced in March 2020, while the profession and service-users were coming to terms with its vast implications, the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa initiated a Webinar series that stimulated provocative discussions and difficult dialogues. The authors of this paper deliver a commentary, critically engaging with the challenges of cogently articulating the contribution of occupational therapy services across various sectors of service delivery during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa. The challenges of on the one hand, negotiating the abrupt cessation of rehabilitation services, especially in the public sector and, on the other, advancing the reasoning for accessible, community-based services, are considered AIM: The commentary draws from presentations at and reflections on the webinar hosted on 24 June 2020 titled 'Ethical and Moral Challenges for Occupational Therapy'. In this paper, the competing ethical and moral issues arising from being urged to adopt different ways of thinking and doing occupational therapy during the Covid-19 lockdown are outlined PROPOSITION: It is suggested that experiences emerging from this pandemic are urging the profession to rethink its positionality in the health sector. Two main considerations deserve attention: The first is rethinking how we use occupational therapy knowledge to act from and in relation to local contexts, viewing people who are marginalised as knowledge and action partners through generative disruption. The second is to revisit what it entails to foster a posture that acknowledges human dignity CONCLUSION: Generative disruption includes a continuous and unabashed critical reflection of and on the limits of our practice and knowledge at hand. It means that we need to include service users and community partners in taking necessary steps to render services in local contexts most needed in recalibration toward social and occupational justice. In our knowledge-making partnerships, it is also imperative to revisit the posture of acknowledging human dignity Keywords: Covid-19; occupational therapy; occupational justice; human dignity; generative disruption

Exploring occupational justice in consumer perspectives on assistive technology

2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 309-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajay Arthanat ◽  
C. Douglas Simmons ◽  
Megan Favreau
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Personal Meanings ◽  
Personal Relation ◽  
Consumer Experiences ◽  
Consumer Perspectives ◽  
Therapy Services ◽  
Occupational Justice ◽  
Training And Support ◽  
And Training

Background. Occupational justice is an emerging paradigm in the provision of occupational therapy services. Assistive technology (AT) services, a key practice domain in occupational therapy, facilitate the participation of individuals with disabilities in all major occupations. Purpose. The goal of this study was to explore personal meanings of occupational justice among consumers of AT and to propose strategies that integrate values of occupational justice in AT services. Methods A content analysis of interviews with seven consumers of AT devices was employed. Themes relevant to the four conceptual definitions of occupational injustice, namely marginalization, alienation, deprivation, and imbalance, were identified. Findings. Four corresponding themes were inherent in the consumer experiences: ability to exercise choices through use of AT devices, using AT to achieve optimum occupational potential, empowerment through AT services, and personal relation to the AT device. Specific issues within these themes are classified and described according to the four conceptual definitions of occupational justice. Implications. The application of occupational justice is essential to promote client-centred AT services particularly in evaluation of needs, selection and acquisition of AT devices, and training and support for use of AT devices.

Yesterday’s Heroes?

Martyrdom ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Punt
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Nelson Mandela ◽  
The One

Jeremy Punt argues that the canonisation of South Africa’s anti-Apartheid heroes is an important component in the construction of a narrative of a country emerging from a violent, divisive past informed by racialist engineering and deliberate processes of exclusion and othering. The icon of the struggle against Apartheid and the one who most often springs to mind is, of course, Nelson Mandela, around whom quite a hero if not a martyr cult was erected. Heroes’ discourse plays an important role in structuring memories about South Africa’s past and negotiating identities in the present. Notwithstanding the ambiguities, the role of anti-Apartheid heroes and their veneration are important in underscoring new group values, restoring human dignity and self-esteem while at the same time articulating identity and acknowledging leadership and achievement. But the commemoration of heroes is also time and place bound and therefore susceptible to constant critique and adjustments as evident from recent events in South Africa.

scholarly journals 1 Corinthians 7:17�24. Identity and human dignity amidst power and liminality

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Punt
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
The Other ◽  
1 Corinthians ◽  
Important Concern ◽  
The One

Paul�s concern with identity, and in particular the identity of the believer in relation to Jesus Christ, is an important concern in his writings. In the midst of an important section dedicated to advice and instruction on marriage in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul encouraged his audience in 1 Corinthians 7:17�24 to remain in the calling by, or position in, which they were called. Concerning these circumstances he refers to circumcision (1 Cor 7:18�19) and slavery (1 Cor 7:21�23) by name. These Pauline instructions are investigated against the backdrop of both the 1st century CE context and post-apartheid South Africa, where issues of identity and marginality rub shoulders with claims to ownership and entitlement, on the one hand, and issues of human dignity, on the other.

An Exploration of Aftercare Services for Female Drug Users

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Talent Mhangwa ◽  
Madhu Kasiram ◽  
Sibonsile Zibane
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Rehabilitation Centre ◽  
Aftercare Services ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Female Drug Users ◽  
Depth Interviews

The number of female drug users has been on the rise in South Africa, with statistics reflecting a rise in the number of women who attend treatment centres annually. This article presents empirical data from a broader qualitative study which aimed to explore perceptions concerning the effectiveness of aftercare programmes for female recovering drug users. The main data source was transcripts of in-depth interviews and focus groups with both service users and service providers from a designated rehabilitation centre in Gauteng, South Africa. Framed within a biopsychosocial-spiritual model, this article explores the perceptions and meanings which the female recovering drug users and the service providers attach to aftercare programmes. The findings of the research outlined the range of factors promoting recovery, alongside noteworthy suggestions for improvement in aftercare services. While acknowledging multiple influences on behaviour, this article highlights the significance of these findings in planning and implementing holistic aftercare programmes.

Embracing multiculturalism of Canada: the roots & the present-day realities

2017 ◽  
pp. 32-41
Author(s):  
Valentyna Bohatyrets
Keyword(s):  
National Identity ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Immigrant Integration ◽  
Mutual Understanding ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
The World ◽  
The One ◽  
Digital Diplomacy ◽  
Equality And Diversity

The paper provides the framework for embracing multiculturalism as a source of national identity, a political ‘profession de foi’, and an engine for a government to gain positive outcomes, leading to better immigrant integration and economic advantages for any country in the world. Noteworthy, Canadian federal policy of multiculturalism, since its official adoption in 1971, is witnessed to work stunningly and in contrast to developments elsewhere – in Canada, public support for multiculturalism is seeing unprecedented growth. Currently, the diversity of the Canadian populace is increasing faster than at any time in its history; Canada’s ethnic makeup has notably altered over the time due to changing immigration patterns. According to the latest poll findings, 84% of Canadians agree with the statement that ‘Canada’s multicultural makeup is one of the best things about this country’; 61% of Canadians believe multiculturalism ‘strengthens national identity’. Moreover, released data from Environics reveals that 27% of Canadians believe ‘multiculturalism is the one characteristic about Canada that most deserves to be celebrated on its upcoming 150thanniversary. Undeniably, people around the world tend to view Canada as “good”. Importantly, the election of Justin Trudeau is viewed as an excellent opportunity to invigorate brand Canada. Noteworthy, brand Justin Trudeau is currently composed of his belief in and promotion of the values of tolerance, equality and diversity. While recognizing the value for society of the human dignity inherent in each individual, Trudeau’s government aims to push beyond mere tolerance to mutual understanding and respect. Keywords: Multiculturalism of Canada, immigration, digital diplomacy, brand, national identity, poll, ethnic groups

Reimagining Intersectionality and Social Exclusion in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khosi Kubeka ◽  
Sharmla Rama
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Social Division ◽  
Common Reference ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
African Context

Combining the theories of intersectionality and social exclusion holds the potential for structural and nuanced interpretations of the workings of power, taking systemic issues seriously but interpreting them though social relations that appear in local contexts. An intersectional analysis of social exclusion demonstrates to what extent multiple axes of social division—be they race, age, gender, class, disability or citizenship—intersect to result in unequal and disparate experiences for groups of youth spatially located in particular communities and neighborhoods. A common reference point is therefore power and how it manifests at the intersection of the local and global. A South African case study is used to explore the subjective measures and qualitative experiences of intersectionality and social exclusion further. The unique ways that language intersects with space, neighborhood, and race in the South African context, enables opportunities in education and the labor market, with profound implications for forms of social exclusion.

scholarly journals Identifying and bridging the knowledge-to-practice gaps in rehabilitation professionals working with at-risk infants in the public health sector of South Africa: a multimethod study protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e039242
Author(s):  
Pragashnie Govender
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Sector

IntroductionEarly childhood is a critical time when the benefits of early interventions are intensified, and the adverse effects of risk can be reduced. For the optimal provision of early intervention, professionals in the field are required to have specialised knowledge and skills in implementing these programmes. In the context of South Africa, there is evidence to suggest that therapists are ill-prepared to handle the unique challenges posed in neonatal intensive care units and wards with at-risk infants in the first few weeks of life. This is attributed to several reasons; however, irrespective of the causative factors, the need to bridge this knowledge-to-practice gap remains essential.Methods and analysisThis study is a multimethod stakeholder-driven study using a scoping review followed by an appreciative inquiry and Delphi process that will aid in the development, implementation and evaluation of a knowledge translation intervention to bridge knowledge-gaps in occupational and physiotherapists working in the field. Therapists currently working in the public health sector will be recruited for participation in the various stages of the study. The analysis will occur via thematic analysis for qualitative data and percentages and frequencies for descriptive quantitative data. Issues around trustworthiness and rigour, and reliability and validity, will be ensured within each of the phases, by use of a content validity index and inter-rater reliability for the Delphi survey; thick descriptions, peer debriefing, member checking and an audit trail for the qualitative data.Ethics and disseminationThe study has received full ethical approval from the Health Research and Knowledge Management Directorate of the Department of Health and a Biomedical Research Ethics Committee. The results will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals and disseminated to the relevant stakeholders within this study.

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