The Queen's University Study of Occupational Therapy Some Reflections and Conclusions

Abstract

Occupational Therapy: The Economic Alternative, the conference theme for 1977, is examined in the light of some of the characteristics of occupational therapists. Changing the structure to make OT more of an economic alternative is one example of the political struggles the profession faces. OT's in their response to the Queen's Study indicated that although they were satisfied with their work and their choice of career, they did not want to be leaders or engage in political struggles. Dissatisfied with the leaders whom they had selected (and who had presumably volunteered reluctantly) the OT's were also dissatisfied with the confidence the profession and its membership had in their professional identity. OT's see the need for greater political sophistication when they look at undergraduate education and suggest that related areas of the curriculum be improved. Waiting for change in the educational system will take too long and more OT's should be sensitized to the needs for political sophistication now. Both the profession and the schools of OT should make an attempt to increase the sensitivity to political problems and to raise the level of political sophistication of members in dealing with these problems.

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References

Copies of the final report will be mailed to members of the Executive and Board of Directors, CAOT, to presidents of provincial associations and to directors of schools. These therapists will be asked to make their copies available to therapists in their organizations. In addition, copies of the report will be deposited with the national office of CAOT in Toronto, and these may be borrowed on a library loan basis. Under the terms of the research grant, Health and Welfare Canada will, of course receive copies of the report.

Cardwell

, President's address. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 33:140, 1966.

The following are the lists of life satisfactions in a career or job from which occupational therapists were asked to select three and rank one which was most important: provide an opportunity for me to exercise my special abilities enable me to look forward to a stable, secure future give me an opportunity to be helpful to others provide me with a chance to earn a good deal of money give me an opportunity to work with people rather than things give me a chance to exercise leadership leave me relatively free of supervision by others give me social status and prestige provide me with adventure permit me to be creative and original.

O'Shea

, Pawn or protagonist interactional analysis of professional identity, Muriel Driver Memorial Lecture, 47th Annual General Meeting and Conference, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 14–17, 1977.

Hennig

Jardim

: Women executives in the old boy network. Psychology Today, 10:76–81, 1977.