Concepts in dispute in Occupational Therapy - Abroad visitor

• Grant number: 25/08580-3
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: September 21, 2025
• End date: October 02, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula Serrata Malfitano
• Grantee: Ana Paula Serrata Malfitano
• Visiting researcher: Deborah Rudman
• Visiting researcher institution: Western University/Uwo, Canada
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The project "Contested Concepts in Occupational Therapy", supported by the Regular Research Grant from FAPESP (Process 2023/14705-8), includes in its Activity Plan the visit of Canadian researcher Professor Debbie Laliberte-Rudman to Brazil for data interpretation and discussion, as well as theoretical alignment for the development of analyses. During the evaluation process of the research project, FAPESP's Internal Advisory Committee indicated that this type of request should be submitted under a specific funding category and should not be included in the project budget, which is why this separate request is now being submitted.The project aims to discuss the concepts that underpin the field of occupational therapy in the execution of its actions, justified by the growing debate around the locally-rooted theoretical and methodological diversity, which involves distinct histories, cultures, and vocabularies. The first phase of the study has already been completed, during which the principal investigator was in Canada engaged in activities with the foreign visiting researcher (Research Fellowship Abroad - Process 2023/07991-4). During this period, a conceptual literature review was conducted on the notions of social insertion, social inclusion, social participation, and social transformation.The second phase is currently underway, aiming to foster thematic debates with researchers identified in the first phase in order to build conceptual syntheses with both Latin American and Anglo-Saxon authors. Professor Debbie Laliberte-Rudman's visit to the Federal University of São Carlos, scheduled from September 21 to October 3, 2025, will enable the interpretation and discussion of data from the second phase, as well as the design of phase three. This next phase will involve producing materials to disseminate the conceptual syntheses developed within the field of occupational therapy and occupational science, with plans to publish results through journal articles and the production of a book. (AU)