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Resource Seeking as Occupation: A Critical and Empirical Exploration
Rebecca M Aldrich1, Debbie Laliberte Rudman2, Virginia A Dickie3
1Rebecca M. Aldrich, PhD, OTR/L, is Assistant Professor, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO; raldrich@slu.edu.
Summary
Resource seeking, essential for survival, is often overlooked by occupational therapy. Recognizing these occupations is crucial to avoid occupational injustices and better serve diverse societal needs.
Area of Science:
- Occupational science
- Sociology of work
- Social justice
Background:
- Occupational therapists and scientists aim to understand occupation.
- Western norms limit the study of survival occupations.
- Resource seeking is vital for basic needs but often unrecognized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide empirical evidence on resource seeking as a survival occupation.
- To critique occupational therapy's focus on self-sufficiency.
- To highlight the risk of occupational injustice due to unrecognized survival occupations.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of findings from two ethnographic studies.
- Examination of occupational therapy documents and discourses.
- Critique of prevailing social norms in occupational science.
Main Results:
- Resource seeking is an occupational response to uncertain survival.
- Activities outside formal employment are key to meeting basic needs.
- Occupational therapy documents often fail to recognize survival occupations.
Conclusions:
- Failing to acknowledge resource seeking perpetuates occupational injustice.
- Occupational therapy must reflect the experiences of all individuals.
- Professional documents need to encompass diverse survival occupations to meet societal needs.