A mosaic of experiences and narratives about collective practices in occupational therapy: methodological considerations

Abstract

In the last decade, studies in occupational therapy have emphasized aspects of collective construction in narrative research that reflect on the ethical precepts essential to the anonymity of participants, while guaranteeing their protagonism. This article discusses a methodological approach that is little used, namely, the narrative constructed through non-anonymous collaboration between participants and researchers, seeking to identify the challenges and potential of shared elaboration. Therefore, the article presents: 1. description of the study's conceptions and its general characteristics, notably the theoretical and methodological references that support the reflexive, dialogic and collective construction of the stories; 2. potentialities and difficulties of the participatory approach in the construction of knowledge in occupational therapy. One of the central points of the adopted methodology, the revelation of the participants' identities, which emphasizes the writing of stories in the first person, is not yet consolidated in the current designs of participatory studies carried out with occupational therapists and can be considered an innovative action for the field of occupational therapy. Technical training requirements are presented, such as communication skills and political agreement, as well as the ethical and epistemological consequences of the professionals' experience. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that, when narrating in the first person, without pseudonyms, the trajectory of the professionals, we face several challenges, such as the fine line between personal and professional life, as well as the social commitments and political consequences of the participants' actions, in addition to the involuntary exposure of third parties, who would not necessarily authorize their actions to be made public.