Construção identitária profissional: percepção de graduandos de terapia ocupacional

Abstract

Introduction: In Occupational Therapy, many of the elements that make up professional identity are questioned, and there is a debate between the desire for a single identity and the perception of identities as complex and dynamic, as long as there are common foundations. In this manner, the research sought to apprehend questions about the formation of professional identity from the perceptions of occupational therapy undergraduate students. Methodology: A questionnaire was developed using the Google® form, answered by 177 students from 23 institutions. Data were systematized using Excel and Word Clouds tools. Results and Discussion: The answers to the questionnaire about the perceptions of identity were analyzed by the categories “Knowledge, Practices and Postures”, “Public, Demands and Specialties” and “Social Function of the Profession”. The use of specific terms in the search for social recognition is revealed, in addition to professional attitudes as a characterization of identity. Various groups are mentioned, related to stigmas and social vulnerabilities, the ethical-political commitment of the profession to the subjects, and its consequent marginalization. Still, the influence of paradigm shifts is related to the objectives of the practice, however, the view of the incapacity-capacity binomial is maintained. Conclusion: It was possible to outline the main characteristics of the students' perceptions, however, it is still necessary to assess their influences under different cultural and educational aspects.