Occupational Engagement, Doing, Being, Belonging and Becoming.

Exploring Occupational Identity through Craft

Craft is not an area that has played a large role in my life previously but it did play a prominent role in my fieldwork two placement where students spent one afternoon a week participating in a range of craft activities.  My role was to assist the students with anything from threading needles and providing a hand with scissors, to giving a full description of what is happening for visually impaired students.  The range of craft activities gave the students with a sense of achievement upon completion as well as an opportunity for companionship and building a sense of community. 

Doing

According to Hammell (2004) the doing of purposeful, goal oriented activities providing an affirmation of competence, sense of self worth through being valuable and capable in the endeavour.  This can be seen through the process of the craft’s creation, from assembling he required equipment to the cutting of paper and threading of needles and the completion final product.

Being

Being is described by Hammell (2004) as the time taken to reflect, be introspective or meditative as well as being surrounded by people the individual values.  “Being” is illustrated through the people participating in craft activities with others as well as being able to use the time to reflect.

Belonging

Hammell (2004) refers to belonging as social interactions and their related support, friendship and sense of inclusion that is gained from the interactions.  Belonging can be seen through the images where individuals are brought together through their participation in craft activities.

Becoming

Becoming involves envisioning the future self and the future contributions being made to the self and others (Hammell, 2004).  The ides of ‘becoming’ is evident through the images of participation in crafts throughout the lifespan and where different older/more experienced crafters are encouraging participation in craft activities.

Some of the ethical considerations I made when choosing the images provided include providing a brief and general description of my experiences on placement but have respected the privacy of the individuals by not naming the site.  I have made reference to the appropriate people and sources when I have used their information or for their contributions.  I was sure not to name individuals when writing this blog to respect their privacy.  I gained informed consent from the individual’s home in which the photos were taken so they knew what it would be used for.

References:

Hammell, K.W. (2004).  Dimensions of meaning in the occupations of daily life.  Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71 (5).