Challenging the Status Quo: Infusing NonWestern Ideas into Occupational Therapy Education and Practice
The authors of this Topics in Education article, who are both occupational therapy educators, reflect on challenging concepts related to decolonizing occupational therapy education, an idea they first encountered at the 2018 World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress. They acknowledge th...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Western Michigan University
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Open Journal of Occupational Therapy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1592&context=ojot |
| Summary: | The authors of this Topics in Education article, who are both occupational therapy educators, reflect on challenging
concepts related to decolonizing occupational therapy education, an idea they first encountered at the 2018 World
Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress. They acknowledge that Western views heavily influence the
occupational therapy concepts they teach to their students. The downside of approaching occupational therapy
education and practice primarily from a Western worldview is that occupational therapy students and practitioners may
perpetuate societal inequities through their practices and are not well-prepared to address the occupational needs of
individuals and communities around the world. This article describes existing alternative views, including occupational
consciousness, cultural humility, and ubuntu, and how these concepts can be applied to occupational therapy practice and
education. Practical recommendations are made about reconsidering how occupational therapy concepts are taught in
educational settings and applied in practice. |
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| ISSN: | 2168-6408 2168-6408 |