Unrecognized Occupational Injustices

In this blog we have discussed a number of situations that have been recognized as causing occupational injustices. However, there are many populations who experience occupational injustice that are not recognized. Here are a few we have recently been researching.

Short Stature

 

"People can say virtually anything negative that they want about an individuals' height. They can use derogatory words like elf, shrimp, runt, munchkin, etc. They can get away with making light of a person who possesses a physical trait that is virtually totally out of the control of the  individual.. Society will make sure the short person knows he is inferior through subtle and sometimes not so subtle cues. No member of any ethnic, racial, disabled, or women's group would tolerate such things" (Mangano, 2002). Read more.. http://www.shortsupport.org/Essays/JoeMangano1.html

China's One-Child Policy

“I have felt the baby moving round and round in my belly,” she says. “Can you imagine how I feel now?”

Al Jazeera recently reported that in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen, a woman who was 8 months pregnant was forcibly given an abortion because her pregnancy was in violation of the country’s one-child policy. Read more...

For the last 30 years, China has limited most urban couples to one child in a bid to curb population growth and conserve its limited resources. China has the world’s largest population with more than 1.3 billion people. Couples who flout the rules face hefty fines, seizure of their property and loss of their jobs. Read more... http://deskofbrian.com/2010/10/8-month-pregnant-chinese-woman-beaten-by-chinese-officials-to-force-abortion/


What can Occupational Therapist due to spread light on these unrecognized populations?
Can you think of other populations that are experiencing unrecognized occupational injustices?




DeskofBrian. (2010). 8 month pregnant chinese woman beaten by chinese officials to force abortion. Retrieved from: http://d
eskofbrian.com/2010/10/8-month-pregnant-chinese-woman-beaten-by-chinese-officials-to-force-abortion/

Mangano, J. (2002). Heightism: the last bastion of discrimination. Retrieved from http://www.shortsupport.org/Essays/JoeMangano1.html

Smith-Gary, L. (2010). China's one child-policy forces woman to have abortion at 8 month. Retrieved from: http://www.care2.com/causes/chinese-woman-forced-to-have-abortion-at-8-months.html