Culture and its Relation to Occupational Engagement

     As Occupational Therapists, our goal is to help people participate in the activities that are meaningful to them. The beauty of this is the activities that are meaningful to me, may not be important to someone else. There are many factors that determine which activities are important to someone, and culture is one of the most influential. 

    Culture includes the values, beliefs, attitudes, and norms of a group of people (Hammell, 2013). We often associate culture with groups regarding race and religion, but they expand far beyond these assumptions. For example, people within the same sports team share a culture. Schools, businesses, and other social groups are all examples of different cultures, and people typically belong to more than one.

     In order to determine one's culture, you must first determine their roles. According to the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, roles "define who a person, group, or population believes themselves to be." When reflecting on my own culture, I thought of three different roles that affect my values and occupations: Christian, student, and athlete. As a Christian, prayer and church attendance are activities that hold importance to me. Additionally, I am motivated by Biblical teachings, and my beliefs influence the way I live. The second role I thought of was "student." Specifically, I am a first-year Occupational Therapy student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. This role greatly impacts my daily routines and habits. For example, I spend the majority of my time reading, writing, and studying, and each of these activities contribute to my academic success. Lastly, I believe my role as an athlete affects the way I live and think. Although, I am not currently an athlete, sports played a large role in the past 15+ years of my life. As a result, I have a competitive personality, and I enjoy games and contests. If I were an OT client, I would want my therapist to know about each of these roles and how they've influenced my occupations. By knowing this information, they will be better equipped in knowing where I stand and what's important to me. 

    When discussing culture, it's important to address the concept of "ethnocentrism." This is the belief that your own culture is superior, and others are judged by your standards. It is important for healthcare professionals to be aware of this concept because it can greatly affect how we treat our clients. We may be nicer and more understanding to people who act and think like we do. On the contrary, we may be unpleasant or oppressive to people who act and think differently. By informing ourselves of cultures different than our own, we enable ourselves to treat our clients equally and respectively. 

    Lastly, it is important to note the difference between "cultural competence" and "cultural humility." Cultural competence is a term used to describe the reflection of advantages and biases that come from one's social position. Socioeconomic status, race, and gender all affect someone's social position. By acknowledging these differences, we become more aware of power inequities that may occur between a provider and client. However, "cultural competence" often implies the therapist comes from a dominant culture and the client does not (Hammell, 2013). Instead, it is suggested we use the term "cultural humility." This concept involves examining your own social positioning and the client's without prior assumptions. 

    In summary, it is important to learn about the various aspect of culture because they directly impact what matters to someone. It is important that we reflect on both our own culture and cultures that differ from ours, in order to build adequate, professional relationships with clients. 

Hammell, K. R. (2013). Occupation, well-being, and culture: Theory and cultural humility / occupation, Bien-être et culture : La Théorie et l’humilité culturelle. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 80(4), 224–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008417413500465

Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process—Fourth edition. (2020). The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74s2001