An Example to Begin

If we were to choose  one attribute (out of many) of United States culture that clearly distinguishes itself from the grand majority of other countries and cultures in the world, it would be our incessant love for cheese. We add cheese to everything, even salads.

So, if a US citizen were to travel to Nicaragua and be a little hesitant toward the food or want to add a little familiarity to the typically served rice, beans, maduros, and ensalada, they may think to order queso (spanish for cheese).

Map of Nicarag

If you are a US citizen and have ordered queso in Nicaragua before, you soon realize that you in fact will receive a spongy, bitter, white, and often fried type of cheese, that largely tastes like nothing commonly served here in the United States. Nicaraguans have told me most foreigners do not enjoy this cheese. Through personal experience, I can confirm this trend.

So cheese in the US and cheese in Nicaragua, are two very different things. Culturally, a simple food is drastically changed by its context. Without contextualization and cultural competency, some pretty unfortunate consequences can take place.

This idea is the basis, as of this moment, for the research I will hopefully be conducting in Nicaragua and Guatemala in relation to, instead of cheese because I am in no way a food connoisseur, Occupational Therapy. The occupations -- Activities of Daily Living, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Education, Work, Rest and Sleep, Play, Leisure, and Social Participation -- are drastically different occupations than here in the United States. This begs for investigation.

Map of Guatemala

As a client-centered practice, therapists must function from the context of the client, therefore understanding the context in which the client's daily life takes place is integral to providing effective therapy service.

I hope to observe and discover through interviews the culturally relevant differences that influence Occupational Therapists in providing effective occupational therapy in Nicaragua and Guatemala, searching for occupations, norms, and values typical of an economically underprivileged country and a country with a rich indigenous population.

I expect this experience to be enlightening, intriguing, and hopefully informing to the Occupational Therapy profession.