Occupational Identity

ClaireJordan

Family member: Family are one of the biggest parts of my life and by being a part of the Jordan family I know I will always have a place where I belong. I have a specific roles which I perform within my family, and a lot of the occupations I am involved in and values I possess, are as a result of being a member of my family.

Rower: For the past 8 years I have been involved in the sport of rowing. Rowing has contributed to my occupational identity in numerous ways , such as the sense of community I have experienced, the occupational satisfaction I have gained through achievements and the friendships I have made through the sport. All of my siblings also participated in rowing which also influenced my involvement in the sport.

South African: I was born in South Africa and lived there till the age of 6. Because of this I feel like a lot of my values and behaviours are strongly influenced by my South African background. I also lived there for a year after school and found myself even stronger tied to the place, people and culture.

Aunty: Over the last year and half I have taken on the role of being an aunty. This includes spending time playing, teaching and getting to know my niece. I have always loved children but have found a special sense of occupational identity through being an aunty, as I will be an aunty for the rest of my life and will continue with the activities which are associated with this role.

Dunedin student/scarfie: Since coming to Dunedin I have embraced and enjoyed all aspects which are associated with being a ‘scarfie’. This has included flat life and the roles which go with it, socializing and meeting new people at events such as O week and throughout the year, and also fitting a in study on the side! Being a scarfie is a passive part of my occupational identity at this time in my life.

Tramping: Through taking the paper of occupational science, my 2 flat mates and I stumbled upon the occupation of tramping. We did our first tramp over the Easter weekend and I have been intrigued ever since. During the tramp I found out how it was able to push me to go that little bit further than I thought I could go. This gave me a great sense of occupational satisfaction. It is definitely an occupation which i would like to carry on pursuing in the future.

School: The friends I made and values I learnt from being a part of Wanganui High School will always be a part of who I am and how I define myself. The occupations I was able to participate in, through school were endless, whether it was sport, academic or the leadership role I possessed.

Traveller: After doing a bit of travelling around South Africa and Australia I feel like it has formed a large part of my occupational identity. I found that wherever you are in the world people are (for the most part) friendly and welcoming. Through travelling I have made some of the best friends as well as had the best experiences and opportunities to learn about myself as an occupational being. It is an occupation I plan to pursue further for the rest of my life.

Beginner Surfer: My dad has been a keen surfer since he was a boy. Through growing up with my dad as a big role model in my life, I naturally wanted to also be able to participate in this occupation with him. I really value the time we get to spend together out in the ocean doing an occupation which we both enjoy. Though I am not very skilled at surfing I still enjoy and will continue to enjoy this occupation due to the meaning and value I associate with the sport.

Occupational Therapist: Through participating in my studies and the placements which go with being an OT student, I have really found it to be a big part of my occupational identity. By learning all the skills, and then putting them into practice on fieldwork has really reassured me that being an occupational therapist is what I want to be.

References:South African Flag (2013). Google images. Retrieved from: http://www.google.co.nz/search?

hl=en&q=south+african&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&biw=1438&bih=624&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=gaOYUZfHEseAiQeIt4HQCw#imgrc=v8JHqr76gJ_HDM%3A%3BFrXJdNAA6P_mPM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cia.gov%252Flibrary%252Fpublications%252Fthe-world-factbook%252Fgraphics%252Fflags%252Flarge%252Fsf-lgflag.gif%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cia.gov%252Flibrary%252Fpublications%252Fthe-world-factbook%252Fgeos%252Fsf.html%3B496%3B302

Occupational therapy sign (2013). Google images. Retrieved fromhttp://www.shutterstock.com/pic-103352342/stock-photo-illustration-depicting-a-road-traffic-sign-with-an-occupational-therapy-concept-blue-sky.html