Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Play in Mayan children.

Susan Bazyk1, David Stalnaker, Maricel Llerena

  • 1Department of Health Sciences, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Health Sciences Building, Room 120, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, USA. s.bazyk@csuohio.edu

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy : Official Publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association
|June 6, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Mayan children in Belize integrate play into daily work, as parents prioritize labor over leisure. This challenges the notion of play as a child's primary occupation, highlighting cultural influences on childhood activities.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A community of practice intervention to increase education-focused mental health promotion actions among interdisciplinary professionals: a qualitative study.

Journal of primary health care·2024
Same author

Development of an Inexpensive Harnessing System Allowing Independent Gardening for Balance Training for Mobility Impaired Individuals.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2021
Same author

The Comfortable Cafeteria Program for Promoting Student Participation and Enjoyment: An Outcome Study.

The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association·2018
Same author

Building Capacity of Occupational Therapy Practitioners to Address the Mental Health Needs of Children and Youth: A Mixed-Methods Study of Knowledge Translation.

The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association·2015
Same author

Systematic review of occupational therapy and mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention for children and youth.

The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association·2013
Same author

Service learning: the process of doing and becoming an occupational therapist.

Occupational therapy in health care·2013

Area of Science:

  • Cultural Anthropology
  • Child Development Studies
  • Ethnography

Background:

  • Understanding childhood play is crucial for development.
  • Cultural contexts significantly shape children's daily lives and activities.
  • Mayan culture in Belize has unique child-rearing practices and values.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the nature of play and playfulness among Mayan children in southern Belize.
  • To document the characteristics of children's play activities within their cultural context.

Main Methods:

  • A qualitative approach using participant observation.
  • Conducted over a 2-week period with 20 children from five Mayan families.
  • Field notes were analyzed using open and closed coding to identify themes.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Adult work holds primacy in Mayan culture, influencing children's daily occupations.
  • Parental encouragement for play was limited; it was permitted only if it did not disrupt work.
  • Children creatively incorporated play activities and playfulness into their work-related routines.

Conclusions:

  • The universal belief that 'play is a child's major occupation' may not apply to all cultures.
  • Parental values and child-rearing customs are essential considerations for culturally sensitive interventions.
  • Further research is needed to understand play within diverse cultural frameworks.