Era Presentations - A Reflection
One event that stood out as a turning point for the field of occupational therapy was World War II. At this time, numerous men were deployed, opening up jobs in the community for women. This also meant that more men were becoming physically injured and exposed to mental trauma. Women primarily had to step in to meet these new needs at a break-necking pace, training for only 2 weeks before being considered an occupational therapist. Hundreds of occupational therapists entered the field at this time, and they were vital to the war effort and to the stability of the nation.
Throughout the era presentations, I noticed one occupation that changed drastically over time-- play. Play, an important occupation for children, took many forms over the years. In early decades, like the 1940s, boys played with war figurines and pretended to be in combat. As time went on and fathers returned from war, boys began playing with toys such as tools, cars, and balls. Beginning in the 1980s, and even today, video games are a huge part of play for both boys and girls. This change is has been shown to impact both dexterity (hand-writing) and social skills in children.
Overall, I learned that occupational therapists throughout the decades have had to work very hard to advance to where they are today. Occupational therapists have had to advocate for vital legislature, promote welfare of all individuals (even when it was not the cultural norm), and adapt to fit the needs of an ever-evolving society. As an OT student and practitioner, this encouraged me to put my own nose to the grindstone, to advocate for the rights of others, and to adapt to all of life's challenges in order to reach my personal goals and the goals of the profession.
Throughout the presentations, I found several pieces of history to be interesting. First, women were primarily working in the home until around the 1980s. Because women were so vital to the workforce during WWII, it astounded me that most of them returned to their duties in the home for so long. I also found the change in education to be interesting. I did not know that individualized teaching strategies and achievement goals were implemented as late as 1990. Finally, I enjoyed learning about toys and leisure activities from decades past that we now use as interventions in OT, such as silly-putty and board games.
Throughout the era presentations, I noticed one occupation that changed drastically over time-- play. Play, an important occupation for children, took many forms over the years. In early decades, like the 1940s, boys played with war figurines and pretended to be in combat. As time went on and fathers returned from war, boys began playing with toys such as tools, cars, and balls. Beginning in the 1980s, and even today, video games are a huge part of play for both boys and girls. This change is has been shown to impact both dexterity (hand-writing) and social skills in children.
Overall, I learned that occupational therapists throughout the decades have had to work very hard to advance to where they are today. Occupational therapists have had to advocate for vital legislature, promote welfare of all individuals (even when it was not the cultural norm), and adapt to fit the needs of an ever-evolving society. As an OT student and practitioner, this encouraged me to put my own nose to the grindstone, to advocate for the rights of others, and to adapt to all of life's challenges in order to reach my personal goals and the goals of the profession.
Throughout the presentations, I found several pieces of history to be interesting. First, women were primarily working in the home until around the 1980s. Because women were so vital to the workforce during WWII, it astounded me that most of them returned to their duties in the home for so long. I also found the change in education to be interesting. I did not know that individualized teaching strategies and achievement goals were implemented as late as 1990. Finally, I enjoyed learning about toys and leisure activities from decades past that we now use as interventions in OT, such as silly-putty and board games.
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