Environment in portraits: new perceptions and debates on occupational therapy and environmental issues

Abstract

The socio-environmental and climate crisis experienced in recent years has brought the environmental issue to the forefront of everyday dialogues. In occupational therapy, it is known that there is a scarcity of studies on the subject; however, as a field dedicated to working with daily life, it is urgent to address the socioenvironmental dimension in its research practices. This study aimed to understand how the environment is perceived by individuals within their own territory and how the environmental issue intersects with the activities they carry out in their daily lives. To this end, an exploratory and qualitative study was conducted, inspired by the photovoice method and divided into three phases. The study involved the collaboration of three participants, aged between 17 and 46 years. The results were organized into two categories: Environment and the use of territory, and Environment, public authority, and social vulnerability. The participants’ perception of the environment is directly related to the environmental problems of the territory, such as irregular waste disposal and pollution. The photographs and narratives reveal situations of injustice and environmental racism and point to the absence of public policies related to environmental issues in vulnerable territories. The field of Social Occupational Therapy is seen as a strategic area for proposing reflections and developing social technologies for working with the environment, since the occupational therapist can act as a mediator of conflicts and facilitate community processes of environmental awareness, promoting spaces for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and environmental education.