Abstract Introduction Increasingly, occupational therapists and scientists across the globe are calling for a shift away from individualised western medical approaches, to working with communities and collectives, and in the social field. This signals the growing motivation to engage in socially responsive and transformative practices that address political structures and oppressive colonial systems. Objective The purpose of our Community of Practice (CoP) was to explore and describe the epistemologies, vocabularies, and understandings that underpin community development and social occupational therapy within diverse global contexts to advance theoretical perspectives and practices. Method As a CoP of occupational therapy and science scholars situated in four countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, and South Africa), we met virtually bi-monthly from March 2020 to January 2023. Scholarly work involved critical narrative literature reviews, reflexive presentations, group dialogues, and individual and collective reflections and analyses. Results Individual narratives, four thematic threads, and a selection of vocabularies and epistemologies are presented. The thematic threads were: Connecting and making space for decolonial praxis, Questioning the disconnect between occupational therapy practice and contexts, Examining vocabularies that shape contextually relevant practice, and Engaging a reflexive stance to work towards equity, justice and social rights. Conclusions Generating knowledge that supports ways of knowing, being and doing reflective of multiple languages, sciences, and contexts will strengthen occupational therapy. Maintaining the pluriversal and resisting ‘one size fits all’ approaches to human occupation/everyday life is essential. This paper offers practitioners a catalyst for initiating decolonising praxis for learning across global contexts.

Resumo Introdução De modo crescente, terapeutas ocupacionais mundialmente estão discutindo mudanças das abordagens médicas ocidentais individualizadas para o trabalho com comunidades, coletivos e no campo social. Isto sinaliza uma motivação crescente para se engajar em práticas socialmente responsivas e transformadoras que abordem estruturas políticas e sistemas coloniais opressores. Objetivo Explorar e descrever epistemologias, vocabulários e entendimentos que sustentam a teoria de desenvolvimento de comunidades e da terapia ocupacional social, em diversos contextos globais para avançar em perspectivas teóricas e práticas. Método A partir de uma Comunidade de Prática de terapeutas ocupacionais e acadêmicos situados em quatro países (Austrália, Brasil, Canadá e África do Sul), nos reunimos virtualmente bimestralmente de março de 2020 até janeiro de 2023. Nosso trabalho envolveu revisões narrativas críticas da literatura, apresentações reflexivas, diálogos em grupo e reflexões e análises individuais e coletivas. Resultados Foram escolhidos quatro fios temáticos e uma seleção de vocabulários e epistemologias: Conectando e abrindo espaço para a práxis decolonial, Questionando a desconexão entre a prática da terapia ocupacional e os contextos, Examinando vocabulários que moldam a prática contextualmente relevante e Engajando uma postura reflexiva para trabalhar em direção à equidade, justiça e direitos sociais. Conclusões A geração de conhecimento reflexivo que sustente formas de saber, ser e fazer requer múltiplas linguagens, ciências e contextos que fortalecem a terapia ocupacional. É essencial manter a pluriversalidade e resistir a abordagens únicas para trabalhar com a ocupação humana/vida cotidiana. Este artigo oferece um catalisador para iniciar uma práxis descolonizadora de aprendizado em contextos globais.

Resumo Introdução A terapia ocupacional crítica visa promover a justiça ocupacional, abordando os determinantes sociais da saúde e as estruturas sociopolíticas que afetam o envolvimento ocupacional das pessoas. Objetivo Descrever e examinar a pedagogia aplicada ao currículo de Práticas de Desenvolvimento Comunitário, na Universidade da Cidade do Cabo (UCT), África do Sul. Método foram usados múltiplos métodos para a construção do caso. Isso incluiu a revisão de documentos e artefatos associados e uma discussão de grupo focal com acadêmicos que ensinam no programa. Esses acadêmicos também escreveram diários reflexivos que foram incluídas em nossa análise. Os dados foram analisados por meio de uma síntese interpretativa crítica. Resultados Um tema abrangente emergiu, a saber: “Modelagem de processos de desenvolvimento em uma aliança de ensino e aprendizagem”. Este tema identificou nossa abordagem pedagógica chave, ilustrando como uma práxis decolonial, abrangendo ações pedagógicas particulares, facilitou mudanças em direção à terapia ocupacional crítica. Essas ações pedagógicas foram refletidas em três categorias: “Parcerias para trazer nosso eu criticamente reflexivo e autêntico”; “O trabalho de desenvolver processos individuais e sistêmicos de luta” e “comprometer-se a enfrentar juntos as incertezas”. Conclusão Nossa interpretação sobre a nossa abordagem pedagógica dentro do currículo demonstra como as pedagogias decoloniais abrem caminhos que promovem o tipo de aprendizagem dialógica que é importante para a terapia ocupacional crítica. Essas pedagogias decoloniais são importantes para o desenvolvimento de uma profissão voltada para a justiça.

Abstract Introduction Critical occupational therapy aims to promote occupational justice through addressing the social determinants of health and the socio-political structures that affect peoples’ occupational engagement. Objective This paper reports on two objectives from a case study, namely: To describe the teaching and learning practices in South Africa, University of Cape Town Occupational Therapy, Community Development Practice curriculum, and the pedagogy informing it. Method Multiple methods were used as data in the construction of the case. These included the review of curriculum documents and a focus group discussion with academics who teach on the programme. These academics also wrote reflective journal entries which were included in our analysis. Data was analysed using a critical interpretive synthesis. Results An overarching theme emerged, namely “Modelling a development processes in a teaching and learning alliance”. This theme identified our key pedagogical approach, illustrating how a decolonial praxis that involves consciously resisting coloniality in the design and implementation of the curriculum occurred. This was made possible through pedagogical actions embedded in the approach and reflected in three categories: “Partnering to bring our critically reflexive and authentic selves”; “The labour of working with individual and systemic processes of struggle” and “Being committed to facing uncertainty together”. Conclusion Our interpretation of our pedagogical approach within the curriculum demonstrates how decolonial pedagogies open up pathways that promote the kind of dialogic and transformative learning that is important for critical occupational therapy. These decolonial pedagogies hold significance for addressing health inequities and developing a justice-oriented profession.

This paper has the dual aim of first presenting an understanding of school dropout as an occupational transition and second, to suggest how this occupational transition may be navigated successfully. School dropout is of concern to occupational therapy as it limits peoples' full social inclusion. We draw on data from a biographical inquiry into the nature of occupational engagement of men in a low socioeconomic, South African community who dropped out of school. In this study, narrative data were generated from 3 men, followed by a narrative analysis and thematic analysis. The findings reflected that two of the men established stable occupational trajectories after dropping out of school, contrasted with the third man who was unable to do this. The interpretations suggest that a successful occupational transition for these two participants occurred through establishing anchoring occupations as a result of chance encounters with individuals who acted as 'champions'. These champions ensured the successful negotiation of available opportunities. Through offering these insights, this paper provides an illustration of how concepts interpreted and discussed in occupational science, such as occupational transitions, have relevance to occupational therapy. With regards to the occupational transition of dropping out of school, it is recommended that occupational therapists consider how they might promote access to champions of opportunities that lead to the development of anchoring occupations.

BACKGROUND: Domestic work is a common form of work in South Africa that is known to place the workers' health at risk. Subsequently, research has focused on this form of work from the workers' perspectives, emphasising the changes needed in employment conditions in South Africa. PURPOSE: This paper draws on a research study that explored the lived experiences of employing a live-in domestic worker. The data from this research is used to consider the role that employers' experiences might play in creating particular work conditions for domestic workers. METHODS: The research applied a qualitative, phenomenological design and six participants were purposively selected. Each participant participated in two interviews. A thematic data analysis was initiated between and following the interviews. Subsequently a second level analysis was conducted which stayed close to the first level of analysis but ensured that the essence of the findings were presented with more clarity. FINDINGS: A single theme "You need them, but they are working on your nerves" and two categories, "caught in a conundrum" and "compelled to be benevolent" emerged. A significant aspect emphasised in the theme and categories was the way that the relationship between the employers and domestic workers left the employers feeling weighed down, which led to tensions that shaped their actions in this work context. DISCUSSION: Understanding the experiences of employers calls attention to the relationship between the occupational engagement afforded to the employers in relation to their domestic workers. The lived experiences of employers, who are from a privileged part of society, and the possible bearing this has on domestic workers who continue to serve from a marginalised position is highlighted and discussed.