Social Justice Reflection

Prior to my experience at TUN, I attended the University of California, Berkeley where I

completed my undergraduate degree in Sociology. Throughout my undergraduate career, I was
involved in various student groups and organizations. I was Vice President of Community
Service for the Berkeley Undergraduate Students Association, and an active member of the
Armenian Students Association. During my time, I frequently collaborated with other students
to promote events that benefited the community. My empathy and connectedness to others is
unique to my personality and perhaps correlates with my desire to help others in need. This is the
primary reason I decided to pursue a field in healthcare in which I have the opportunity to
collaborate with individuals to help them develop a healthy lifestyle and improve their quality of
life.
While the study of sociology introduced me to inequality as a social structure in relation
to oppression, exploitation, socioeconomic status, and class, my experience at TUN allowed me
to develop a deep understanding of social justice in the field of occupational therapy (OT). Our
social justice course during the fifth semester taught me the importance of being able to
understand and interpret the behaviors of other cultures non-judgmentally and without bias. I
learned how being culturally competent can improve healthcare outcomes and eliminate health
disparities. This course made me realize the importance of self-awareness, and how we must
understand our own cultural beliefs and be self-aware of our own biases. Cultural sensitivity is
important to being a good practitioner, as it entails openness and acceptance to differences. This
is a skill that is learned and developed over time.
As a future OT practitioner, I hope to further develop my self-awareness, cultural
knowledge, cultural sensitivity, and cultural skill in clinical practice. In order to fully embrace a

holistic, client-centered approach to care we must recognize that all individuals should be treated
and considered morally equal. Social justice is an important component to becoming an OT and
providing services in a fair and equitable manner. Based on the knowledge, information, and
experience I have gained at TUN, I know that as a future practitioner I will focus efforts on
advocacy and self-advocacy to promote occupational justice and empower clients to obtain
resources needed to fully participate in meaningful occupations.