{"id":{"repo_id":"montana-tech","oai_identifier":"oai:scholarworks.umt.edu:etd-1732"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/montana-tech/oai:scholarworks.umt.edu:etd-1732","repository":{"repo_id":"montana-tech","name":"Montana Technology","base_url":"https://scholarworks.umt.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Occupational Therapists: A Study of Managing Multiple Identities","abstract":"This qualitative study uncovered the identity construction of occupational therapists located in two regions of the United States. In utilizing an organizational communication studies lens, it was discovered that occupational therapists possess multiple, conflicting, and intersecting identities. The four central categories that emerged from the data were: Therapist as catalyst of functional activity, Therapist as envoy of profession, Therapist as navigator of bureaucracy, and Therapist as member of interdisciplinary team. Therapist as catalyst of functional activity proves to be the preferred identity of occupational therapists and the subsequent identities work to support or interfere with occupational therapists’ ability to see themselves as a catalyst of functional activity for their patients. This study further problematizes the notion that individuals have preferred identities and the effects this has on identity construction. The examination also provides useful insights for the development of Occupational Therapy as a profession.","abstract_html":"This qualitative study uncovered the identity construction of occupational therapists located in two regions of the United States. In utilizing an organizational communication studies lens, it was discovered that occupational therapists possess multiple, conflicting, and intersecting identities. The four central categories that emerged from the data were: Therapist as catalyst of functional activity, Therapist as envoy of profession, Therapist as navigator of bureaucracy, and Therapist as member of interdisciplinary team. Therapist as catalyst of functional activity proves to be the preferred identity of occupational therapists and the subsequent identities work to support or interfere with occupational therapists’ ability to see themselves as a catalyst of functional activity for their patients. This study further problematizes the notion that individuals have preferred identities and the effects this has on identity construction. The examination also provides useful insights for the development of Occupational Therapy as a profession.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lloyd, Katherine Elise"],"institution":"University of Montana","degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:13:45Z","subjects":["discourse","identity","Occupational therapists"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/713","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lloyd, Katherine Elise"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Montana"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis - Campus Access Only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["discourse","identity","Occupational therapists"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/713"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This qualitative study uncovered the identity construction of occupational therapists located in two regions of the United States. In utilizing an organizational communication studies lens, it was discovered that occupational therapists possess multiple, conflicting, and intersecting identities. The four central categories that emerged from the data were: Therapist as catalyst of functional activity, Therapist as envoy of profession, Therapist as navigator of bureaucracy, and Therapist as member of interdisciplinary team. Therapist as catalyst of functional activity proves to be the preferred identity of occupational therapists and the subsequent identities work to support or interfere with occupational therapists’ ability to see themselves as a catalyst of functional activity for their patients. This study further problematizes the notion that individuals have preferred identities and the effects this has on identity construction. The examination also provides useful insights for the development of Occupational Therapy as a profession."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Occupational Therapists: A Study of Managing Multiple Identities"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Lloyd, Katherine Elise"],"dc:description.abstract":["This qualitative study uncovered the identity construction of occupational therapists located in two regions of the United States. In utilizing an organizational communication studies lens, it was discovered that occupational therapists possess multiple, conflicting, and intersecting identities. The four central categories that emerged from the data were: Therapist as catalyst of functional activity, Therapist as envoy of profession, Therapist as navigator of bureaucracy, and Therapist as member of interdisciplinary team. Therapist as catalyst of functional activity proves to be the preferred identity of occupational therapists and the subsequent identities work to support or interfere with occupational therapists’ ability to see themselves as a catalyst of functional activity for their patients. This study further problematizes the notion that individuals have preferred identities and the effects this has on identity construction. The examination also provides useful insights for the development of Occupational Therapy as a profession."],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/713"],"dc:publisher":["University of Montana"],"dc:subject":["discourse","identity","Occupational therapists"],"dc:title":["Occupational Therapists: A Study of Managing Multiple Identities"],"dc:type":["Thesis - Campus Access Only"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:13:45Z"}