What's Up with Implicit Bias?

-

    Implicit bias is when your brain automatically stereotypes certain groups of people. These thoughts and ideas often times have been embedded into our brains and usually are unconscious. You can be biased about a number of things: age, race/ethnicity, financial level, region, etc. As an OT, it is very crucial to be aware of how you perceive others. Treating others kindly and respectfully no matter their characteristics is the FIRST and most important responsibility of an occupational therapist. 

    To be culturally sound is the ability to recognize that your culture is not the "correct" or only culture. You must be culturally responsive by accepting other's cultures and acknowledging that even if you don't know/understand their values, you are willing to learn and help understand their culture. An important role of an OT is understanding their clients. If their culture is different from yours, it is our job to identify where we are lacking and try to understand their needs and perceptions. If a client is not comfortable doing something due to their culture or religion, the OT must adapt and figure out a different way to approach the said therapy.  

    It is so so important to treat everyone equally!!

There's a story behind every person 

    After listening to the podcast "Code Switch," I learned that it's totally normal, and even human, to have implicit bias. What's important is that you acknowledge the said bias and don't act upon it negatively. You have to keep the bias "in hand" and choose to learn from your misunderstandings. In the field of OT, you can meet so many diverse people and learn so many different things about other cultures and personalities. It is so essential to take advantage of those opportunities! To further learn about the unknown ideas in my head, I took an age bias test that resulted in me realizing I prefer people of my own age. I found those results to be odd because I usually feel more comfortable around those who are older than me. That just goes to show that you don't always know what you are thinking unconsciously!

In the wise words of Harry Styles; 

"Treat people with kindness."  


Code Switch podcast: https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/04/19/604070231/a-lesson-in-how-to-overcome-implicit-bias

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Refusing to Let ALS Touch Souls

-
Image
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that intrudes into people's lives from ages around 40-70 years old.  The literal definition of ALS can be broken down like this:       Amyotrophic - "a" : without, "myo" : muscle, "trophic" : nourishment     Lateral - to the side of     Sclerosis - abnormal hardening of body tissue  This disease, also known as, Lou Gehrig’s disease, damages motor function neurons of voluntary muscle control. Voluntary muscle controls consist of speaking, eating, and even body movements. It affects both upper and lower motor neurons. The upper motor neurons carry messages from the motor cortex to the cranial nerves while the lower motor neurons carry messages from the motor cortex to the skeletal muscles. This inevitably fatal illness has 2 main types: sporadic and familiar. Sporadic is most common while familiar is genetic.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...
Read more

Assistive Tech and It's Importance to Occupational Therapy

-
Image
What is assistive technology and why is it important in the field of occupational therapy?   Assistive technology can be a crucial aspect of any developing child or even adult. Assistive technology, AT for short, can be defined as:                                                        "any item or piece of equipment used to increase,  maintain,  or improve  functional capabilities  for a person with a disability." Basically, AT can be any device that maintains, increases or helps improve functional capabilities of those with disabilities. As a future OT, it is essential to recognize the importance AT has in our field. It can be a vital part of any occupational therapist's day on the job. As long as it helps improve the daily life of someone with a disability, it can fall under the ca...
Read more

More Than Just a Character

-
Image
Emilia Clarke, the "mother of dragons," starred in a role of a strong and  vehement  character in a popular TV show called Game of Thrones .  Emilia was she an immediate hit, even with her little background in major production acting, which was incospiuous to the show's viewers.  Not only was she courageous on-screen, she was also resilient off-screen. After her first season on GOT, Emilia was struck with a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in 2011.  According to the Mayo Clinic, this life-threatening stroke is from bleeding between the brain and the encompassing membrane, the subarachnoid space. The bleeding comes from a ballooning ruptured blood vessel within the space. This occurance is called an aneurysm and is usually caused by hypertension (increased blood pressure) or some other health-related problems. The increase in blood pressure causes sudden, intense pain which is usually the inital symptom of a SAH. As reported by The New Yorker, Emilia stated th...
Read more