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A communal perspective of occupation: Community change in a senior center welcoming Spanish-speaking immigrants

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lavalley, R; Bailliard, A
Published in: Journal of Occupational Science
January 1, 2021

Occupational scientists across the globe are increasingly attending to social change and its connection to occupation and communities. The discipline is actively studying the role of communal everyday doing in social movements, community development, and systemic transformation. This paper describes a 6-month enthnographic study that explored community change at a senior center as it welcomed Spanish-speaking older adults into its programming and spaces. Data collection was informed by both pragmatist and critical theoretical perspectives to explore communal change in a manner that honored the potency of societal power structures without dismissing human agency. Focusing on communal processes of occupation during semi-structured individual interviews and participatory group community mapping revealed complex and interwoven sociopolitical relationships among the community. Additionally, this communal perspective of occupation seemed to contribute to rapid action toward positive community change. A communal perspective of occupation shows promise in further understanding how communities change and the role occupational science may have in contributing to positive community development.

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Published In

Journal of Occupational Science

DOI

EISSN

2158-1576

ISSN

1442-7591

Publication Date

January 1, 2021

Volume

28

Issue

1

Start / End Page

29 / 41

Related Subject Headings

  • Rehabilitation
  • 3505 Human resources and industrial relations
  • 1103 Clinical Sciences
 

Citation

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Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Lavalley, R., & Bailliard, A. (2021). A communal perspective of occupation: Community change in a senior center welcoming Spanish-speaking immigrants. Journal of Occupational Science, 28(1), 29–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2020.1775111
Lavalley, R., and A. Bailliard. “A communal perspective of occupation: Community change in a senior center welcoming Spanish-speaking immigrants.” Journal of Occupational Science 28, no. 1 (January 1, 2021): 29–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2020.1775111.
Lavalley R, Bailliard A. A communal perspective of occupation: Community change in a senior center welcoming Spanish-speaking immigrants. Journal of Occupational Science. 2021 Jan 1;28(1):29–41.
Lavalley, R., and A. Bailliard. “A communal perspective of occupation: Community change in a senior center welcoming Spanish-speaking immigrants.” Journal of Occupational Science, vol. 28, no. 1, Jan. 2021, pp. 29–41. Scopus, doi:10.1080/14427591.2020.1775111.
Lavalley R, Bailliard A. A communal perspective of occupation: Community change in a senior center welcoming Spanish-speaking immigrants. Journal of Occupational Science. 2021 Jan 1;28(1):29–41.

Published In

Journal of Occupational Science

DOI

EISSN

2158-1576

ISSN

1442-7591

Publication Date

January 1, 2021

Volume

28

Issue

1

Start / End Page

29 / 41

Related Subject Headings

  • Rehabilitation
  • 3505 Human resources and industrial relations
  • 1103 Clinical Sciences