People are empowered by engaging occupations. In any setting we practice, or with any individual or group we serve, we are all working to help people, organizations, and populations through empowerment and capacity building. By nature, it is easier to serve people and organizations, but how can we as OTs better serve populations? How can we reach our most marginalized populations?
There have been many ‘hot topics’ in regards to social justice issues lately. Because we at OTsforAction have set out to help everyone, not just our OT colleagues, understand occupational justice and how injustices impact both identity development and wellbeing of those around us, we’re going to take a look at some mainstream images of individuals and apply it to an occupational justice framework and how it addresses larger populations.
I want to highlight the work of a Brazilian artist, whose images have recently been heavily circulated on social media. She’s been highlighted as a #differencemaker, identifies as a #feminist, and has been a featured artist in the 2015 TEDWomen exhibit. Carol Rossetti, illustrator and designer, is behind the raved Women (Mulheres) project and produces zines with a feminist artist group in Brazil called ZiNas.1 Rossetti’s work highlights various injustices experienced by women by pairing her illustrations with words of empowerment. Here’s how her art changes the dialogue from occupational injustice to one of occupational justice…
Sarah
“Sarah is a transwoman, and was recently disrespected and made to feel ashamed by two cis-women in a female public toilet.”
There are some basic human rights and assumptions relevant here…
1) Using the restroom is a necessary daily occupation. We all need to do it in some capacity.
2) As with all members of society, her needs should be honored and she deserves to feel like an accepted and supported member of society.
3) Sarah deserves not to be forced, pressured, or coerced into refraining from this necessary occupation because of lack of access to appropriate public toilets. All people should have equitable access, regardless of personal differences.
Paying homage to our occupational justice framework, there are some structural factors at play here...
1) Individuals beliefs and values are shaped by a variety of cultural, societal, religious, etc. influences.
2) We select individuals, along with their beliefs and values to represent us, who have influence on policies.
3) National, regional, and local policies put in place impact access for persons like Sarah (such as those “bathroom bills” introduced in that would “restrict access to sex-segregated facilities on the basis of a definition of sex or gender consistent with sex assigned at birth (biological sex).”1
4) Cultural and individual beliefs and values affecting reaction to such policies.
If we do not break the cycle of devaluing people’s basic human rights, people like Sarah and the entire transgender population will continue to experience occupational marginalization (lacking the power needed to exert choices and decision making and participations in occupations is hindered) and occupational alienation, if people feel like they have to refraining from certain public areas due to scrutiny of using the restroom in public. We know that these negative experiences over time ultimately lead to negative consequences on health and wellbeing.3
All of these factors are intertwined to create a complicated web between people and the structures put in place around them. Occupational injustices like those faced by Sarah cannot be resolved at an individual level, but people can compel systems to change. By providing opportunities for individuals to choose, universal access to environments without bias, and by working to improve societal and individual understanding of how Sarah’s situation is a matter of occupational injustice, we can facilitate conditions that lead to occupational justice and change the outcome for Sarah and others in her situation.
Now let’s take a look at another one of Rosetti’s Mulheres…
Kelly
“Kelly has Down Syndrome, and many people are surprised by her independence and autonomy.”
Some of her basic human rights from an occupational justice lens:
1) To be supported to participate in occupation as an included and valued member of their family, community, and society;
2) To be valued for her participation and contributions;
3) To have choice to engage independently to the maximum extent possible in occupations that contribute to her positive health and wellbeing
4) To have access to occupations, regardless of her personal differences, that enable her to flourish, fulfill her potential, and experience satisfaction;
and 5) Not to be excluded from occupation by economic, social, and physical barriers.
There are many policies and laws that pertain to rights of people with disabilities such the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Engagement in occupations for persons with disabilities can be impacted by structural factors such as:
a) access to community supports, social networks, and health resources available to people with special needs;
b) the quality of education for students with disabilities;
c) employment opportunities available, both in regards to resources and company values; and
d) the cultural, societal, and individual values that affect perception of the capabilities of people with disabilities.
Kelly, as portrayed in this example, has experienced positive outcomes of occupational justice. She has had structures in place that have allowed her to live by herself and engage in meaningful occupations such dancing, writing, continuing her education, and socializing with peers. She derives meaning from the experiences that contribute to positive feelings of autonomy. Still, with implicit biases as a society, Kelly encounters those who may see her has he helpless or incapable and leave her marginalized (without choices) or imbalance (under-occupied).3
Similarly, individuals’ perception of a group of people at large has impacted Bruna Krenak and her ability to demonstrate a certain level of self-sovereignty. Our last Mulheres…
Bruna Krenak
“Bruna Krenak has been told that she shouldn’t be considered indigenous anymore because she wears jeans and goes to college.”
Let’s recap some of the basic human rights from an occupational justice lens:
1) Everyone has the right to develop themselves through participation in a variety of meaningful occupations, such as education in Bruna’s instance.
2) Everyone right to exert autonomy through choice in occupations, which should not be restricted. Each individual’s life circumstance and occupational needs are different. These differences should be respected and people should not make assumptions about others based on factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, religion, ethnicity, etc.
3) Engaging in one meaningful occupation does not need to devalue or feel contradicted for engaging in another valued occupation. Bruna Krenak should not feel as though her desire for higher learning or clothing choices need to devalue the meaning she derives from cultural beliefs and related occupations or that she should be restricted from exploring other valued activities and occupations based solely on her native origin.
Structural factors can support access to or obstruct an individual’s basic human rights. In Bruna Krenak’s situation, there are many biases both systemically and on the individual level that could lead to occupational deprivation (preclusion based on factors outside control of the individual) and lack of autonomy or marginalization.
Just as in Sarah’s and Kelly’s case, we can change the narrative by providing opportunities for individual choice in occupations and identity development. We can work to improve societal and individual attitudes and advocate for policies that allow people like Bruna Krenak equitable access to a various occupations. We can choose politicians who understand the need for occupational justice, in order to best inform policies for those most directly impacted by them. It is our duty as occupational therapists to respond to occupational injustices.
Thank you, Carol Rossetti, for using art to helping spread the message of empowerment, basic human rights, and occupational justice for these Mulheres.
Brittany Behrendt, Occupational Therapist
Seattle, WA
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