An autoethnographic exploration of an occupation: Doing a PhD

Taylor, JA

Abstract

The systematic and detailed study of occupations is challenging to
occupational therapists, who would wish to understand better their meanings
and therapeutic value. Such a study must attempt to capture the complexities
of occupational form and performance, recognising occupations as spatially,
socially and temporally situated phenomena that are culturally recognised
and individually experienced.
Autoethnography is a methodological approach in which the researcher
is the focus of the research. It offers a way of accessing personal experience
by focusing on physical artefacts, documentary evidence and reflections,
and so is particularly useful for studying the complexity of occupational
engagement. With ‘doing-a-PhD’ as its focus, this study used autoethnography
to explore the subjective experience of engagement with an occupation
in order to understand better its complexity, meaning and possible
therapeutic value.
The findings are presented under six headings, which explore the personal
and social aspects of the occupation, the ways in which it interfaces with the
contexts of time and space, its relationship with other occupations and roles,
and the process of transformation that it brings about. The limitations of
the approach are discussed and the implications of the study for occupational
therapists are proposed.

Citation

Taylor, J. (2008). An autoethnographic exploration of an occupation: Doing a PhD. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(5), 176-184

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: May 29, 2013
• Journal: British Journal of Occupational Therapy
• Print ISSN: 0308-0226
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 71
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 176-184
• Publisher URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cot/bjot;jsessionid=5ds59p4obo54c.victoria
• Related Public URLs: http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/cot/03080226/v71n5/s2.pdf?expires=1369820854&id=74383795&titleid=6174&accname=University+of+Salford&checksum=6E66AE61FE58C7CFDF7F489155B87EE7