“Doing hope” as a possible way towards a responsive occupational science

Abstract

Europe is facing many major and rapid changes, which have direct consequences for the everyday lives of people experiencing diverse situations of vulnerability. Changes in health care systems, migration, and a growing population of elderly people are just a few examples of these changes in Europe. New ways of living and the struggles associated with them, urge our community to seek sustainable ways towards social justice. I choose to speak from my position as a hybrid scholar (from the in between); formed and trained within diverse epistemologies to reflect on these issues. I aim to open a dialogue about possibilities and responsibilities to become responsive to persons and groups, where failing infrastructures in our communities expose forms of vulnerability. What can occupational science do regarding populations whose vulnerabilities are exposed? What kind of science is needed to meet these challenges? To reflect on this, I will draw on my research experiences of engaging in community building and my teaching experiences preparing future occupational therapists to face these emerging topics. I introduce the concept of 'third space' as a possible way for knowledge creation embracing democratic collaboration, negotiation, and contestation in research and learning contexts. I will conclude by engaging in a critical reflection about the epistemic privilege where occupational science is founded, and the urgency to explore and create other frames of collaboration and dialogues that allow us to construct a more just world together.

Mobilizing Occupation for Social Transformation: Radical Resistance, Disruption, and Re-Configuration: Mobiliser l'occupation pour une transformation sociale : résistance radicale, perturbation et reconfiguration

“…Ongoing critical reflexivity regarding ways occupational therapists enact power is crucial to guard against complicity, and critically-informed practice approaches are increasingly forefronted as means to reconfigure our political positioning and effects (Galvaan & Peters, 2017;Malfitano & Lopes, 2018;Pollard, Sakellariou, & Kronenberg, 2008). As powerfully articulated by Mondaca (2021): "We can reproduce or resist oppressive conditions, as individuals and as a discipline. We can also build better societies" (p. 8).…”

“…In occupational therapy, this extends beyond conceptualizations of client-centred practice predicated on a Western worldview, recognizing that a fundamental reordering of social conditions requires creating spaces for collective dialogue with individuals and collectives experiencing inequities to raise consciousness of root causes and inform actions (Rossatto, 2005). Embracing what decolonial scholars have called "epistemologies from the margins" (Mignolo & Tlostanova, 2006;Mondaca, 2021), moving forward requires not just an openness to "other" ways of thinking and doing but resistance toward hegemonic ideas and an "epistemic openness to the uncertainty of not having the immediate answers or solutions" (Galvaan, 2021, p. 8). This guidepost challenges us to resist adopting an "expert position" that involves imposing our "truths" and values orientations and embrace an ongoing participatory process that is equity-oriented, contextually embedded, and imbued with cultural humility (Galvaan, 2021;Laliberte Rudman, 2019).…”

Enacting Contextually Responsive Scholarship: Centring Occupation in Participatory Action Research with Children in India

“…The increased integration of critical social theory within occupational therapy and occupational science has unpacked boundaries within which occupation has been conceptualized and addressed, particularly in the Global North. In turn, such work has identified the imperative to embrace plurality of ways of 'knowing' so as to enact contextually responsive scholarship that mobilizes occupation to transform society 1,2,3 . Critically informed scholarship has emphasized the situated nature of occupation, fore fronting occupation as shaped within historical and contemporary social conditions and power relations 2,4 .…”

JOS Special Issue: Occupational Science in Europe

“…This issue covers a diversity of occupations, research areas, and target groups, as well as a diversity in methods, theoretical approaches, and suggestions for theoretical analysis. The keynote presentations mirror this transitional situation and transformative potential of occupational science: While Galvaan (2021) calls on occupational scientists to value generative disruptions and harvest their benefits, Mondaca (2021) urges us to action, promoting 'third spaces' for what she refers to as 'doing hope'.…”

“…Thus, taking advantage of generative disruptions requires a vision: In her concluding address, Mondaca (2021) navigates the reader through different continents and encounters, allowing kaleidoscopic glimpses into her rich experiences as an occupational therapist and scientist. She illustrates how a 'third space' and an 'in-betweenness' emerges from her epistemological roots and evolving itinerary.…”