“Circle of Caring”: A First Nations Worldview of Child Rearing

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy
• Main Author: Gerlach, Alison
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 2008
• Subjects: First Nations
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/000841740807500107; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/000841740807500107

Background. For occupational therapy to be meaningful for all families who have a child with a developmental disability, the profession needs to consider and integrate into practice alternative and more inclusive epistemologies. A greater understanding and respect of a First Nations worldview may help reduce the risk of inadvertently perpetuating oppression and assimilation.Purpose. To describe raising a child with a developmental disability from the perspective of five members of the Lil'wat Nation.Methods. Data were obtained from in-depth interviews and analysed using a constant comparative approach.Findings. Within the category of family the subcategories identified were extensive support network, intergenerational learning and doing, and influence of the residential school system. Within the category of raising a child the subcategories identified were health and spirituality, causation beliefs, and a sense of knowing.Implications. Occupational therapists need to be cognizant of alternative worldviews on child rearing, family, and health that may differ significantly from their own personal and professional beliefs and practices.