2. Family member:Family are one of the biggest parts of my life and by being a
part of the Jordan family I know I will always have a place where I belong. I have a
specific roles which I perform within my family, and a lot of the occupations I am
involved in and values I possess, are as a result of being a member of my family.
3. Rower: For the past 8 years I have been involved in the sport of rowing. Rowing
has contributed to my occupational identity in numerous ways , such as the sense of
community I have experienced, the occupational satisfaction I have gained through
achievements and the friendships I have made through the sport. All of my siblings
also participated in rowing which also influenced my involvement in the sport.
4. South African:I was born in South Africa and lived there till the age of 6.
Because of this I feel like a lot of my values and behaviours are strongly influenced
by my South African background. I also lived there for a year after school and found
myself even stronger tied to the place, people and culture.
5. Aunty: Over the last year and half I have taken on the role of being an aunty. This
includes spending time playing, teaching and getting to know my niece. I have always
loved children but have found a special sense of occupational identity through being an
aunty, as I will be an aunty for the rest of my life and will continue with the activities
which are associated with this role.
6. Dunedin student/scarfie: Since coming to Dunedin I have embraced and
enjoyed all aspects which are associated with being a ‘scarfie’. This has included flat life
and the roles which go with it, socializing and meeting new people at events such as O
week and throughout the year, and also fitting a in study on the side! Being a scarfie is
a passive part of my occupational identity at this time in my life.
7. Tramping:Through taking the paper of occupational science, my 2 flat mates and I
stumbled upon the occupation of tramping. We did our first tramp over the Easter
weekend and I have been intrigued ever since. During the tramp I found out how it was
able to push me to go that little bit further than I thought I could go. This gave me a
great sense of occupational satisfaction. It is definitely an occupation which i would like
to carry on pursuing in the future.
8. School:The friends I made and values I learnt from being a part of Wanganui High
School will always be a part of who I am and how I define myself. The occupations I
was able to participate in, through school were endless, whether it was sport,
academic or the leadership role I possessed.
9. Traveller:After doing a bit of travelling around South Africa and Australia I feel like it
has formed a large part of my occupational identity. I found that wherever you are in
the world people are (for the most part) friendly and welcoming. Through travelling I
have made some of the best friends as well as had the best experiences and
opportunities to learn about myself as an occupational being. It is an occupation I plan
to pursue further for the rest of my life.
10. Beginner Surfer:My dad has been a keen surfer since he was a boy. Through
growing up with my dad as a big role model in my life, I naturally wanted to also be
able to participate in this occupation with him. I really value the time we get to
spend together out in the ocean doing an occupation which we both enjoy. Though
I am not very skilled at surfing I still enjoy and will continue to enjoy this
occupation due to the meaning and value I associate with the sport.
11. Occupational Therapist:Through participating in my studies and the
placements which go with being an OT student, I have really found it to be a big
part of my occupational identity. By learning all the skills, and then putting them
into practice on fieldwork has really reassured me that being an occupational
therapist is what I want to be.
12. References:
South African Flag (2013). Google images. Retrieved from:
http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&q=south+african&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&biw=1438&bih=
624&um=1&ie=UTF-
8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=gaOYUZfHEseAiQeIt4HQCw#imgrc=v8JHqr76gJ_H
DM%3A%3BFrXJdNAA6P_mPM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cia.gov%252Flibrary%252
Fpublications%252Fthe-world-factbook%252Fgraphics%252Fflags%252Flarge%252Fsf-
lgflag.gif%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cia.gov%252Flibrary%252Fpublications%252Fthe
-world-factbook%252Fgeos%252Fsf.html%3B496%3B302
Occupational therapy sign (2013). Google images. Retrieved from
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-103352342/stock-photo-illustration-depicting-a-road-
traffic-sign-with-an-occupational-therapy-concept-blue-sky.html
