This research used focus groups to investigate the views of occupational therapists from contrasting geographic areas of Thailand on the concept and practicability of the independent living movement within a Thai context. In addition, convergent interviews were employed with individuals from a region where insufficient professionals for group formation agreed to participate. Emerging themes were around the issue of differences and similarities in the concept of independent living between Western and Eastern cultures. Rather than independent living promoting an individualistic culture in Thailand, interdependent living was seen to be likely to be more suitable for a collectivistic culture like Thailand. However, independent living, along with other constructs concerning activity and participation were deemed to have been integrated with values shared by the participants. According to their construction of responsibilities, the participants felt it was crucial to- provide support for clients for independent living. Moving from an agricultural to an industrial society has caused changes in family structure in Thailand that have resulted in disabled people being pushed to live more independently. There do appear to be mechanisms within Thailand allowing independent living for disabled people to be made possible but it requires a period of time to address the barriers existing in disabled people themselves, their families, people in the community, physical environment, the Thai government and therapy professionals as well as financial barriers. To support independent living in Thailand, strategies for practice are suggested. Some strategies require cooperation and collaboration from other stakeholders in society. The client-centred and occupation- based models are viewed as being appropriate to form a frame of occupational therapy practice for promoting independent living and need to be augmented by community service, counselling and social skill, and knowledge for occupational therapists to be enabled to support independent living.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:585131 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Dhippayom, Jananya |
| Publisher | Cardiff University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://orca.cf.ac.uk/54405/ |
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