Childhood, social vulnerability and occupations: expressions of resistance and life production
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Abstract
Social inequality impacts childhood and reduces the occupational opportunities of children from disadvantaged social classes. This qualitative study analyzed the experiences of 35 families with children
living in two Brazilian municipalities using semi-structured interviews and the Checklist Intersetorial de Detecção de Risco ao Desenvolvimento Infantil. Statistical and thematic analysis revealed that social processes shape occupational opportunities and that caregivers associate education with a promising future for a child. Children’s occupations also emerged as practices of resistance and life production in the face of social vulnerability. The research highlights the role of Occupational Therapy in understanding occupational challenges and the transformative power of collective actions, showing how the neoliberal agenda perpetuates inequities while failing to suppress the forms of
struggle and resistance expressed by children and their families.
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