Open AccessThe Influence of Context: A Naturalistic Study of Ugandan Children's Doings in Outdoor Spaces
Author(s) -
Njelesani Janet,
Sedgwick Amy,
Davis Jane A.,
Polatajko Helene J.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
occupational therapy international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.414
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1557-0703
pISSN - 0966-7903
DOI - 10.1002/oti.310
Subject(s) - observational study , situated , thematic analysis , context (archaeology) , naturalistic observation , psychology , developmental psychology , focus group , occupational therapy , naturalism , qualitative research , social psychology , sociology , geography , social science , epistemology , anthropology , medicine , archaeology , pathology , artificial intelligence , psychiatry , computer science , philosophy
Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore children's everyday outdoor occupations in context. A naturalistic observational approach was employed to record the observed outdoor occupations of children in Mbarara, Uganda. Thematic analysis, through pattern formation and constant comparative analysis, was used to uncover categories and themes in the data. Patterns emerged from the data revealing two overarching categories containing three themes: 1) types of occupations: play, work and nothing in particular and 2) characteristics of occupational engagement: being in peer groups, having fun and using materials in the environment. The themes reveal that children's occupations are both similar and different across minority and majority world cultures and that children's occupations are contextually situated and flexible in nature. A limitation of the study was that the observational approach made identification of children's ages subjective. Subsequent studies should explore children's experiences of occupational engagement using interviews and focus groups. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.