This paper reports on the collective ideas of the occupational scientists and therapists who attended the “Refugees – Addressing Key Social Issues” think tank at the Occupational Science Conference held in Hildesheim (2017). Forced migration is recognized as a prevalent issue in today’s society. Forced migrants face many occupational challenges, which are being exacerbated by restrictive migration policies. This paper outlines the discussions held during the think tank and presents an occupational perspective of forced migrants’ needs, followed by a desired vision of what an occupationally just world would look like for forced migrants, and future directions to guide occupation-based social transformation.
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The European Cooperation in Occupational Therapy Research and Occupational Science (ECOTROS) aims to bring together occupational therapists interested in research in order to promote and facilitate international cooperation. In 2005/06, a survey was undertaken to identify the occupational therapists and institutions that were undertaking research in each country in Europe and to discover the topic, range and type of research. Responses to questionnaires were obtained from 113 individuals and information was given about 143 studies being undertaken within 7 countries. The results of the survey state the academic qualifications, work areas and research topics of the participants; the professions of the supervisors; and the sources of the funding.
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Purpose of the Session:Migration studies has seen a growing number of critical authors who over the last decade have participated in reflexive works critiquing the Eurocentric focus of migration studies and how this has historically contributed to problematic theories, categories, and terminologies. These problematic and normative discourses have been perpetuating stereotypical and othering images, ideals and ideologies of migration and integration. With a growing number of publications within Occupational Science on migration and integration, the need for similar exercises of critical reflexivity become increasingly evident. This session aims to stimulate this conversation and explore future possibilities to continue the critical reflexive exercise. Structure and Method of Participant Engagement:The session will begin with a brief introduction to the ongoing discourse analysis which the authors are conducting on articles on migration and integration in Occupational Science and the highlights of the hegemonic and marginal discourses within this field. Participants will then work in groups to explore three questions to stimulate a discussion on critical reflexivity. Within each group, pieces of text will be presented, gathered from the analysis conducted by the authors, to situate the discussion and generate a critical dialogue. Three Discussion Questions:What role has research within Occupational Science played in perpetuating problematic categories in migration and integration in an unproblematic way?What assumptions rest within terms such as migrant, integration and ‘refugees’ which are used regularly within research in Occupational Science? Which theoretical resources could serve to advance the understanding of migration, displacement, and dignifying life?
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Introduction: The ROTOS Foundation, dedicated to Occupational Therapy (OT) and Occupational Science (OS) research, is one of three branches of OT-Europe, alongside education and practice. Its vision is to enhance the lives of European citizens by uniting OT and OS researchers under a single, influential voice to highlight the impact of their work.Objectives: To connect OT and OS researchers across Europe, fostering collaboration and maximizing the societal impact of their research.Approach: ROTOS is developing Research Interest Groups (RIGs), specialized networks that bring together professionals with shared research interests. These groups aim to integrate OT and OS perspectives into impactful research benefiting individuals and communities.Practice Implications: RIGs are led by committed researchers who voluntarily coordinate activities within their expertise areas. Each RIG serves as a hub for knowledge exchange, supporting members in sharing ongoing projects, inspiring innovation, and fostering collaboration on research initiatives and grant applications.Contribution to the OT Profession: ROTOS plays a pivotal role in advancing OT and OS research in Europe. By establishing RIGs, it cultivates a collaborative and dynamic research environment, promotes the dissemination of cutting-edge knowledge, and advocates for the societal benefits of OT. Strengthening the research network ensures that OT and OS research continues to drive meaningful change, ultimately enhancing the well-being of individuals and communities across Europe.
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Health interventions often do not reach blue-collar workers. Citizen science engages target groups in the design and execution of health interventions, but has not yet been applied in an occupational setting. This preliminary study determines barriers and facilitators and feasible elements for citizen science to improve the health of blue-collar workers. The study was conducted in a terminal and construction company by performing semi-structured interviews and focus groups with employees, company management and experts. Interviews and focus groups were analyzed using thematic content analysis and the elements were pilot tested. Workers considered work pressure, work location and several personal factors as barriers for citizen science at the worksite, and (lack of) social support and (negative) social culture both as barriers and facilitators. Citizen science to improve health at the worksite may include three elements: (1) knowledge and skills, (2) social support and social culture, and (3) awareness about lifestyle behaviors. Strategies to implement these elements may be company specific. This study provides relevant indications on feasible elements and strategies for citizen science to improve health at the worksite. Further studies on the feasibility of citizen science in other settings, including a larger and more heterogeneous sample of blue-collar workers, are necessary.
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Global issues, including the current pandemic and ongoing climate change, shape voluntary and forced international migration flows in inequitable ways. Anti-immigrant discourses in the Global North seek to capitalize on public concerns about border control. Meanwhile, the greatest immigration challenges are borne by countries in the Global South. The majority of refugees who are forcibly displaced by war, political violence, poverty, and environmental disasters seek refuge in neighbouring regions where many states lack the capacity to adequately support them. Given these challenges, it is imperative for occupational scientists to work collaboratively to support equitable occupational possibilities for immigrants, refugees, and internally displaced persons. During this dialogic session we will 1) outline useful theoretical approaches for understanding how migration shapes engagement in occupations; 2) discuss specific ethical considerations and methods for studying migration and its occupational implications; and 3) share promising practices for working with people from migration backgrounds. Each topic will be introduced through a brief presentation from one of the co-authors sharing vignettes from their own research and professional experiences to ignite discussions. Following each of the three presentations, participants will be grouped strategically to build networks among those with similar interests. This may include grouping participants who share a language.>What are the gaps in occupation-based research on global migration, and how can these be collaboratively addressed?>How can occupational science contribute to discussions within migration studies?>What occupational concepts are most useful for studying different migrant populations?
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International partnerships are a mechanism for supporting the academic development of occupational therapy and promoting cultural competence. This case study describes the factors that have helped to sustain a post-qualifying programme implemented by five higher education institutions in Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK since 1999. Data collection methods were documentary analysis and the reflections of a purposive sample of six key informants. Cohort and outcome data, from 193 students from 31 countries who enrolled between 1999 and 2011, are reported. Each cohort comprises students from an average of eight countries to optimize inter-cultural dialogue. Four factors support sustainability. These are 1) supportive professional European networks; 2) timeliness and alignment with European higher education policy; 3) partnership structures and processes that emphasize joint decision making and accountability; and 4) the stimulus and satisfaction associated with internationalization. The main limitations are considering the OT-EuroMaster as an intrinsic case study and using opportunistic data collection that undermines the rigor and transferability of the findings. Future opportunities include doctoral networks, transnational research and sharing our curricula design with other Regions to spread the collaborative, capacity building endeavours more widely.
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Theoretical works in occupational therapy and occupational science have explored the refugee experience through an occupational lens, and explored the potential for occupational therapy in this field. Currently, there exists a lack of literature which includes refugees in these explorations. Recognising the western-bias present within occupational therapy, it is important that refugees are part of a co-produced response. This article presents findings of a workshop held in the Netherlands, where four co-authors with a refugee background and one occupational therapist explored the definition of occupational therapy, the role it could have with refugees, and what is required from the profession to take on this role. Reflections suggest that occupational therapy has the potential to be a connector, matchmaker and translator, working towards societal participation. To do this, occupational therapists must critically reflect on assumptions embedded in occupational therapy, and must be aware of how structural systems influence participation of refugees.
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Editorial on the Research Topic "Leveraging artificial intelligence and open science for toxicological risk assessment"
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Citizens have responded to newcomers in the Netherlands with acts of solidarity and programmes to support integration, often in response to increasingly restrictive government policies. In a previously published study by the primary author, a critical discourse analysis was conducted of texts used in mandatory government integration programmes. Findings showed that texts discursively construct the “modern Us” the “unmodern Other” and a hierarchical relationship between the two, recreating in practice racialized categories reminiscent of colonial times. Considering the role citizen initiatives play in integration, it is important to also understand their discourse on integration. A critical discourse analysis using Bacchi’s What’s the Problem Represented to Be? approach was conducted on texts used in citizen initiatives for integration in the Netherlands. Additionally, as part of a larger institutional ethnography, ethnographic data was gathered on their day-to-day work. These data were analyzed through a theoretical lens inspired by occupational science, governmentality and post/decolonial studies. Initial findings show dominant discourses found in formal integration programmes being actively reproduced in citizen initiatives. Additionally, findings display concepts of ‘successful’ integration, the “Us”, and the “Other” being discursively shaped by promoting ‘modern’ occupations as part of ‘successful’ everyday life. Occupational science is a field with particular interest in social transformation projects, projects often based in the informal sector. Understanding how dominant discourses are reproduced in informal programmes provides important perspectives on their impact on everyday life, demonstrating the importance of remaining critical of discourses in projects operating in the peripheries.
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