How Culture Impacts Occupational Engagement
Culture impacts occupational engagement in many ways. Culture can be defined as, "the knowledge, beliefs, values, assumptions, perspectives, attitudes, norms, and customs that people acquire through membership in a particular society or group" (Hammel, 2013). This means that how and where a person live and who they are around influences their culture. The article, "Occupation, Well-being, and Culture: Theory and Cultural Humility," talks about the different dimensions of cultural diversity which are: well-being, cultural humility, positioning, race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability (Hammell, 2013). These different dimensions all relate back to the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework's personal and environmental factors (OTPF-4, 2020).
Well-being is defined as, "a state of contentment--or harmony--with one's physical/mental health, emotional/spiritual health, personal and economic security, self-worth, sense of belonging, opportunities for self-determination, opportunities to engage in meaningful and purposeful occupations, and sense of hope" (Hammel, 2013). Well-being can be influenced by culture and impact daily occupations and routines. For example, I was diagnosed with depression a few years ago which falls under the umbrella of well-being. My mental health influenced my occupations negatively. I did not want to go outside, read, or have social interactions, which are all occupations I enjoy. I was able to get the help I needed and have been thriving since, however, I was only able to do that because of my culture. Well-being is exclusive because not everyone is able to receive help because of their socioeconomic status which is an aspect of personal factors from the OTPF-4 (OTPF-4, 2020).
Another dimension of cultural diversity is ability. The article mentions how those with disabilities are given unequal opportunities and that society is organized to exclude them (Hammel, 2013). Since moving to Memphis, TN I have noticed how inaccessible so many places are in the city. The apartment building I live in has only stairs, and the sidewalks do not have curb cuts to allow for wheelchair access. The parking spots also block most of the sidewalks so you have to go in the grass if a car is parked there. If I were to be disabled in any way, I could not live here. In the OTPF-4, Ability would be considered a part of cultural identification within the aspect of personal factors (OTPF-4, 2020).
Cultural competence, a dimension of cultural diversity, is the knowledge of values, customs, and traditions of a specific cultural group (Hammel, 2013). For example, to be considered culturally competent in a culture you would need to have knowledge about the culture's government, appropriate vs. inappropriate language, what some of the general occupations are, as well as other things. Cultural competence has become a term that is no longer preferred over the use of cultural humility. Cultural humility is looking at your own beliefs and biases, and being able to see how they differ from other people. This means if you have a bias against any person, group, or thing, look at it through a different lens. For example, I can admit to having a bias against tall burly men as I am a white woman who does not want to be kidnapped or killed. This bias has been brought on to me by society by making me believe that they are the type of person most likely to kidnap or kill me, when I could be kidnapped by anyone. Cultural humility is preferred in the profession of OT as we are supposed to be client centered. If I have a client who is a tall, burly man I do not want my bias to influence the care I give him. I have to acknowledge and reevaluate my bias so I can give him the best possibly care.
As a future occupational practitioner, I can use a client's culture to inform their occupational therapy treatment and goals. My client may have a high socioeconomic status and I would be able to suggest something like taking a yoga class because they have the means to pay for it. I could also have a client who was a vegan, but one of their favorite occupations is to cook and that would influence their treatment as I would have to research vegan foods and obtain the correct ingredients.
In conclusion, culture impacts occupational engagement in many ways. As a future occupational therapy practitioner I will treat my client's with cultural humility and use their culture to influence their therapy and goals. This article has made me more aware of the broadness of culture and how every person's culture is truly unique.
References:
Hammell K. R. (2013). Occupation, well-being, and culture: Theory and cultural humility. Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapie, 80(4), 224–234.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0008417413500465
Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process—Fourth Edition. Am J Occup Ther August 2020, Vol. 74(Supplement_2), 7412410010p1–7412410010p87. doi: https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001
