Date Presented 04/05/19
This study describes the occupational ideation of urban youth in a middle school college-going program. Findings indicate that students retained program learning and described both idealistic goals and the difficulty of achieving them. Categories of occupations discussed include instrumental activities of daily living, rest and sleep, education, and employment interests or pursuits. In this context, OTs can serve as consultants or program managers to promote occupational justice.
Primary Author and Speaker: Sheryl Ryan
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to consider the role of community-based occupational therapy among youth who live in an underserved area and are at risk for occupational deprivation related to experiencing negative social determinants of health. These include: high poverty rates, low educational attainment, high crime rates, and minority status. This study focused on the perspectives of middle school youth who are involved in a college going culture program, which were examined to inform conceptions of childhood occupations and to describe roles for occupational therapy in community based practice settings. Students were asked about their views of the future, steps to achieve their goals, and perceived barriers.
DESIGN: This was a limited phenomenological study that took place during a 6-month middle school program. All students in the program were invited to participate in the study. Fifteen of the 30 students in grade 6-8 received parent consent and provided assent to participate in the study.
METHOD: Researchers conducted participant observations by attending as volunteers during the program. In addition, researchers interviewed participating middle school students on a rolling basis throughout the program. The students were able to opt-in or out for additional semi-structured interviews on successive weeks. All interviews and notes were transcribed and analyzed through a process of coding for themes using the Dedoose program.
RESULTS: Several themes emerged: students discussed the complexities of their personal situations, demonstrated retention of knowledge learned in the college-going culture program, and alternated between describing highly idealistic goals and the difficulty anticipated in achieving those goals. None of the students identified family members who graduated from college in the US but all of them indicated a view of the future that included college. They were strongly able to connect their personal interests with career choices and retained information learned in the program regarding the requirements to achieving their career goals. While articulating idealistic college and career goals, such as attending Harvard, Yale, Julliard, or becoming a doctor or FBI agent, most of the students also expressed views about the many difficult steps to get there. Categories of occupations the youth discussed include: instrumental activities of daily living, rest and sleep, education, employment interests and pursuits, and social participation.
CONCLUSION: While common conceptions about the occupations of children include the private spaces of school, play, and family life, the findings of this study indicate that the participating youth are also actively engaged in real world areas of financial management, employment interests and pursuits, and social participation in the community and among their peer group. Many of these occupations not traditionally associated with childhood are related to their occupational ideation for their futures, as well as to the need for them to actively participate in overcoming social barriers. Results indicate it is important to maintain an ecological perspective toward the possible occupations and occupational ideation of urban youth.
This study is important to occupational therapy practice because it describes occupational ideation among the participating middle school students. The occupation-based program involves youth in planning for their lives as adults, in order to remove barriers that would likely prevent them from achieving educational/career success. In the context of occupation-based college-going culture programs in underserved areas, occupational therapists can serve as consultants, supervisors, or program managers to promote occupational justice.
References
Arbesman, M., Bazyk, S., & Nochajski, S. M. (2013). Systematic review of occupational therapy and mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention for children and youth. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(6), 3120-130. doi:10.5014/ajot.2013.008359
Durocher, E., Rappolt, S., & Gibson, B. E. (2014). Occupational justice: A conceptual review. Journal of Occupational Science 21(4). doi:10.1080/14427591.2013.775692
Jenson, J. M., Veeh, C., Anyon, Y., St. Mary, J., Calhoun, M., Tejada, J., & Lechuga-Peña, S., 2018. Effects of an afterschool program on the academic outcomes of children and youth residing in public housing neighborhoods: A quasi-experimental study. Children and Youth Services Review, 88(C), 211-217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.03.014
Leadley, S. & Hocking, C. (2017). An occupational perspective of childhood poverty. New Zealand Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64(1), 23-31. (No doi). Retrieved from https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=743435363990857;res=IELHEA
