Abstract
Background. Occupational therapy and occupational science literature include growing attention to issues of justice, marginalization, and rights. In contrast, the concept of oppression has scarcely been employed. Purpose. This paper investigates how adding the concept of oppression may enhance occupational therapy approaches to injustice, prioritizing a focus on structural causes, and facilitating conscientious action. Method. A critical interpretive synthesis explored insights from authors who name oppressions in occupational therapy and occupational science literature. In total, a sample of 28 papers addressing oppression, ableism, ageism, classism, colonialism, heterosexism, racism, and/or sexism was selected for inclusion. Findings. Four themes were identified: oppression and everyday doing; effects of structures and power; responding and resisting; and oppression within occupational therapy. Implications. Incorporating oppression within the plurality of social discourse may help occupational therapists to avoid individualistic explanations, attend to relationships between social structures and constrained occupations, frame intersectional analysis, and engage in praxis.
Highlights
Occupational therapists and scholars have interrogated the social conditions that limit occupation (Hammell, 2020; Malfitano et al, 2016)
The themes identified indicate a strong fit with the concept of oppression: Everyday doing is hindered by microaggressions, invisibility, and violence; constraints on occupations are rooted in structural and institutional power relations, as well as dominant ideologies; responding to or resisting oppression always involves agency within constrained “choices” and is often stressful, yet resistance occurs on multiple levels; occupational therapy is not immune from perpetuating oppression and suggestions for change are plentiful
Oppression and Everyday Doing As Ramugondo (2015) has stated, “everyday doing intersects with oppression” (p. 495). Whether they were examining ageism, ableism, classism, colonialism, heterosexism, racism, sexism, or intersectional experiences, the authors included in this critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) described numerous ways everyday occupations were altered by oppression
Summary
Occupational therapists and scholars have interrogated the social conditions that limit occupation (Hammell, 2020; Malfitano et al, 2016). Despite sustained attention to justice and injustice, the concept of “oppression” has been largely unnamed by occupational therapy authors. There have been recent international calls for occupational therapy to challenge oppression (Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy, 2020; World Federation of Occupational Therapy, 2020) This critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) examines how the concept of oppression has been used in occupational literature, and whether more explicit attention to oppression might prove beneficial. Occupational therapy and occupational science literature include growing attention to issues of justice, marginalization, and rights. This paper investigates how adding the concept of oppression may enhance occupational therapy approaches to injustice, prioritizing a focus on structural causes, and facilitating conscientious action. A critical interpretive synthesis explored insights from authors who name oppressions in occupational therapy and occupational science literature. Incorporating oppression within the plurality of social discourse may help occupational therapists to avoid individualistic explanations, attend to relationships between social structures and constrained occupations, frame intersectional analysis, and engage in praxis
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