Affordances....

According to Hagedorn (2000) affordances is “anything which the environment can offer the individual which is pertinent to the role challenge and can facilitate role competence”. This statement gives us an opportunity to explore the links that tie occupations together. Below I have set out three sections that were covered in class to examine affordances more closely.

Communication:

Paper craft can be done alone or with others in a group session. There is no winner or loser in this activity.  The communication between instructor /student can be helpful while you are in a group setting as advice can be given as to how to approach a certain technique. Shared ideas can also be gained from other group members. Paper craft can be viewed in a gift giving capacity where the end product is gifted to someone to express a caring attitude, emotions and respect.

Connections:

Connections or action properties are an indication of to do next in an activity. It guides us to enable completion of the task at hand (Butler, 2011).  I have found a poem called ‘Paper sniffer’ that I really enjoy and that might help you to understand connections a little bit better…..

I love the smell of paper

Its music to my nose

I sniff it at the store

And say, “I’ll take one of those!”

Some papers have a musty smell

While others smell like glue

Some papers have just one aroma

While others there are two

Some papers smell like flowers

With a fragrance that is sweet

While some smell like candy canes –

A pepperminty treat

If you’ve never noticed

Let me give you this advice –

Become a paper sniffer

Because paper smell really nice!

I have one question

To ask of you –

When you see paper

What do you do?

Do you hold it

And study the design

Or is your nose for paper

As sensitive as mine?

(Smith, 2005)

Ethics:

Burden – pleasure of activity, sacrificing homework

Joy – time spent with friends if done in group, completion of task, something for me, something for someone special

Good – learning a new technique, creating something, working with your hands, 

Bad – can be time wasting, expensive, decisions choosing type of paper, many uncompleted pieces.

Reference:

Butler, M. (2011). Participation in Occupation II. Unpublished, cited with the permission of the author. Otago Polytechnic School of Occupational Therapy, Dunedin.

Hagedorn, R. (2000). Tools for practice in occupational therapy A structured approach to core skills and processes. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone.

Smith, T. (2005). A taste of paste: Paper sniffer. Mayfield: Bluegrass publishing