Immigrant women’s occupational struggles during the socioeconomic crisis in Spain: Broadening occupational justice conceptualization

Abstract

[Abstract] Occupational scientists claim that further development of the concept of occupational justice is needed to enact the discipline’s commitment to social transformation. We argue that immigrant women’s experiences of occupations in Spain can contribute to this dialogue. Although research on occupations after migration has expanded internationally, limited studies have adopted a critical stance towards health and occupation simultaneously. Thus, we propose that advancing understanding of immigrant women’s experiences of daily participation in occupations and identifying health/well-being mediators to generate actions to promote health from a critical perspective might advance the conceptualization of occupational justice. A participatory health research study informed by Epistemologies of the South was undertaken with six women from Latin America. Data were generated through group discussion, interviews, diaries and Metaplan. A critical narrative analysis and a participatory thematic analysis were performed. Immigrant women's daily life in Spain (shared trajectories and experiences, occupational struggles, and health and well-being mediators and consequences) and an Agenda for change set by the participants (Daily challenges to overcome and possible formula to improve daily living) are reported. Findings are aligned with previous research revealing similar threats to occupational rights, impact on health and the strategies used to navigate both. New insights from the findings expand occupational justice conceptualization, portraying how structural elements such as class, gender and ethnicity shape occupational opportunities which create daily injustices negotiated through occupations, namely occupational struggles. These occupational struggles impact both negatively and positively on well-being. A specific action agenda towards occupational justice is recommended by the participants.