Susan Forwell
Biographic Data
| ID | 1573317 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Susan Forwell |
| GIVEN NAMES | Susan |
| FAMILY NAME | Forwell |
| SIGNATURE | FORWELL S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of British Columbia |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7827-5934 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 45 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 20 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Filmmaking as a research method
Meaning of small grains cultivation as a traditional occupation in Japan
Traditional occupations hold important meanings, as they have been passed down from generation to generation. However, many occupations are endangered due to shifting practices and standards associated with globalization. The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of the traditional occupation of small grains cultivation in Japan, which has been integral to farming in the region for over 2,800 years. Ethnography and community-engaged re…
Special issue
The conference theme, 'Occupation and society: Global to local perspectives for the future', recognized that all human engagement in daily occupations occurs within context.The papers in this special issue highlight the complex relations between human occupation and society, and address the varied ways that occupational engagement is shaped, in part, by the ways that occupations are 'situated' (e.g., historically, politically, geographically, etc…
Occupational security
In an ongoing era of global-scale, cascading, and intersecting crises, including climate change impacts, ongoing armed conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic, security is becoming increasingly challenging.The escalating dangers and restrictions arising from these events, adversely affecting life itself and related occupations, has resulted in insecurity disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable and marginalized communities.This often contrib…
Responsibility as humans
Small grains are a group of ancient grains that have been cultivated in different parts of the world for thousands of years, have high nutritional value, are resistant to drought, play a key role in agricultural resilience, and are adaptive to climate change. Of emerging concern globally, however, is that several varieties of small grains and related agricultural knowledge and practices are disappearing owing to the promotion and efficiency of in…
Learning about occupation together
This paper outlines the approach to learning and knowing occupation adopted in a graduate level seminar focussed on the relationship between human occupation and society. Drawing on elements of transformational learning theory and critical pedagogy for the course design, instructors and students in the seminar engaged in a collective process of learning about occupation. Rather than focusing on the topical content of the course, this article outl…
Exploring occupations and well-being before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in adults with and without inflammatory arthritis
To decrease the spread of the COVID-19 virus, public health officials in British Columbia, Canada ordered large-scale physical distancing requirements, leading to school and business closures, banning of large gatherings, and travel restrictions. These requirements shifted people’s occupational repertoires, with vulnerable populations (e.g., those with chronic health conditions) possibly being differentially impacted. To learn more about people’s…
This is me”
Introduction Transitions are universal, intricate experiences and have been well documented in the occupational literature. However, literature on gay men’s experiences of transitioning through the coming-out process from an occupational perspective is lacking. This study focuses on men who have chosen to make their sexuality known on their own terms. Objective: To explore the transition of coming-out for gay men through an occupational perspecti…
A Pledge to Mobilize Against Racism – Translated
The members of the Journal of Occupational Science issued a pledge to mobilize against racism in August 2020. Part of that pledge was an undertaking to “mentor and encourage authors and reviewers t
A Pledge to Mobilize Against Racism
Dear Colleagues, The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, USA is yet another signifier of the persistent and systemic racism that pervades communities internationally. His death at police hands i
The Breadth of Discovery in Occupational Science
An integrative review exploring transition following an unexpected health-related trauma
This paper addresses transition, defined as an unanticipated and unwanted passage from one life phase, condition, or status to another, following an unexpected health-related illness or trauma. It does so by reporting the results of two systematic reviews, one from literature taking an occupational perspective and the other from the broader literature. The aims of these reviews were to determine: 1) how the literature taking an occupational persp…
How mothers experience their adolescents’ first year in high school
Transitions can have a profound impact on the person, their environment, and their occupations. Entering high school is a transition that has implications not only for the adolescent, but also for their family members. A greater understanding from an occupation perspective of how people and groups adapt to life transitions of one person is critical to understanding transition. The study objective was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived…
Men's discursive constructions of balance in everyday life
Fathers' involvement in paid and unpaid activities and the notion of the ideal father is evolving in contemporary Western society. Little is known about how fathers construct balance in everyday life and what ideologies underpin these constructions. We explored balance using qualitative interviews with 15 men in dual-income heterosexual partnerships who had young children. Phenomenographic and critical discourse analyses generated two key constru…
Balance in Everyday Life
As the social justice movement has lessened the gender gap in paid and unpaid occupational participation, the subject of balance in everyday life is receiving increased attention. Although various theories about balance have been developed, it remains elusive as a concept. This research investigates the ways in which men and women in dual-income couples with young children conceive of balance in everyday life. The phenomenographic study recruited…
An Integrative Review of Occupational Science and Theoretical Literature Exploring Transition
An occupational perspective of the experience of transition has been developed in the peer reviewed occupational science literature. While that literature describes the elements of transition, a theory of transition has not been posited. This integrative review aims to evaluate 1) how the literature that has taken an occupational perspective captures the phenomenon of transition in healthy populations, 2) what theoretical literature beyond occupa…
Photo-Elicitation Interviewing to Capture Children's Perspectives on Family Routines
Introduction: There is little occupational science research about the routines of typically developing school-aged children. Even less exists investigating these concepts from the child's perspective. This may partly be attributed to difficulties interviewing children, children's challenges with recall, disparities in language and communication, and power differences between children and researchers. Visual methodologies can mitigate these challe…
Special Issue on Social Policy and Occupational Science
One of the challenges in putting this special issue together is conceptualizing the term ‘social policy’. A diversity of understandings of social policy and its functions in relation to everyday li
Moving from China to Canada
Introduction: Chinese immigrants to Canada bring a set of values and beliefs that influence the way they experience the world. Some are mothers with children with special needs. These women face the difficult process of transitioning into a new culture and society along with caring for a child with special needs. Objectives: To gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences and occupations of Chinese mothers of children with special needs who …
Theoretical perspectives of balance and the influence of gender ideologies
Despite increasing attention to balance in everyday life and its impact on health and well‐being, the concept of balance lacks clarity and consensus. Aiming to clarify the fundamental concept, this article discusses four theoretical perspectives drawn from literature: quantity of involvement across occupations, congruence between values and occupations, fulfillment of demands of roles/occupations, and compatibility in occupational participation. …
An Integrative Review of Occupational Science and Theoretical Literature Exploring Transition
An occupational perspective of the experience of transition has been developed in the peer reviewed occupational science literature. While that literature describes the elements of transition, a theory of transition has not been posited. This integrative review aims to evaluate 1) how the literature that has taken an occupational perspective captures the phenomenon of transition in healthy populations, 2) what theoretical literature beyond occupa…
Moving from China to Canada
Introduction: Chinese immigrants to Canada bring a set of values and beliefs that influence the way they experience the world. Some are mothers with children with special needs. These women face the difficult process of transitioning into a new culture and society along with caring for a child with special needs. Objectives: To gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences and occupations of Chinese mothers of children with special needs who …
Men's discursive constructions of balance in everyday life
Fathers' involvement in paid and unpaid activities and the notion of the ideal father is evolving in contemporary Western society. Little is known about how fathers construct balance in everyday life and what ideologies underpin these constructions. We explored balance using qualitative interviews with 15 men in dual-income heterosexual partnerships who had young children. Phenomenographic and critical discourse analyses generated two key constru…
Photo-Elicitation Interviewing to Capture Children's Perspectives on Family Routines
Introduction: There is little occupational science research about the routines of typically developing school-aged children. Even less exists investigating these concepts from the child's perspective. This may partly be attributed to difficulties interviewing children, children's challenges with recall, disparities in language and communication, and power differences between children and researchers. Visual methodologies can mitigate these challe…
This is me”
Introduction Transitions are universal, intricate experiences and have been well documented in the occupational literature. However, literature on gay men’s experiences of transitioning through the coming-out process from an occupational perspective is lacking. This study focuses on men who have chosen to make their sexuality known on their own terms. Objective: To explore the transition of coming-out for gay men through an occupational perspecti…
An integrative review exploring transition following an unexpected health-related trauma
This paper addresses transition, defined as an unanticipated and unwanted passage from one life phase, condition, or status to another, following an unexpected health-related illness or trauma. It does so by reporting the results of two systematic reviews, one from literature taking an occupational perspective and the other from the broader literature. The aims of these reviews were to determine: 1) how the literature taking an occupational persp…
How mothers experience their adolescents’ first year in high school
Transitions can have a profound impact on the person, their environment, and their occupations. Entering high school is a transition that has implications not only for the adolescent, but also for their family members. A greater understanding from an occupation perspective of how people and groups adapt to life transitions of one person is critical to understanding transition. The study objective was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived…
Balance in Everyday Life
As the social justice movement has lessened the gender gap in paid and unpaid occupational participation, the subject of balance in everyday life is receiving increased attention. Although various theories about balance have been developed, it remains elusive as a concept. This research investigates the ways in which men and women in dual-income couples with young children conceive of balance in everyday life. The phenomenographic study recruited…
Theoretical perspectives of balance and the influence of gender ideologies
Despite increasing attention to balance in everyday life and its impact on health and well‐being, the concept of balance lacks clarity and consensus. Aiming to clarify the fundamental concept, this article discusses four theoretical perspectives drawn from literature: quantity of involvement across occupations, congruence between values and occupations, fulfillment of demands of roles/occupations, and compatibility in occupational participation. …
Exploring occupations and well-being before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in adults with and without inflammatory arthritis
To decrease the spread of the COVID-19 virus, public health officials in British Columbia, Canada ordered large-scale physical distancing requirements, leading to school and business closures, banning of large gatherings, and travel restrictions. These requirements shifted people’s occupational repertoires, with vulnerable populations (e.g., those with chronic health conditions) possibly being differentially impacted. To learn more about people’s…
Special Issue on Social Policy and Occupational Science
One of the challenges in putting this special issue together is conceptualizing the term ‘social policy’. A diversity of understandings of social policy and its functions in relation to everyday li
Theoretical perspectives of balance and the influence of gender ideologies
Despite increasing attention to balance in everyday life and its impact on health and well‐being, the concept of balance lacks clarity and consensus. Aiming to clarify the fundamental concept, this article discusses four theoretical perspectives drawn from literature: quantity of involvement across occupations, congruence between values and occupations, fulfillment of demands of roles/occupations, and compatibility in occupational participation. …
Moving from China to Canada
Introduction: Chinese immigrants to Canada bring a set of values and beliefs that influence the way they experience the world. Some are mothers with children with special needs. These women face the difficult process of transitioning into a new culture and society along with caring for a child with special needs. Objectives: To gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences and occupations of Chinese mothers of children with special needs who …
Special Issue on Social Policy and Occupational Science
One of the challenges in putting this special issue together is conceptualizing the term ‘social policy’. A diversity of understandings of social policy and its functions in relation to everyday li
Balance in Everyday Life
As the social justice movement has lessened the gender gap in paid and unpaid occupational participation, the subject of balance in everyday life is receiving increased attention. Although various theories about balance have been developed, it remains elusive as a concept. This research investigates the ways in which men and women in dual-income couples with young children conceive of balance in everyday life. The phenomenographic study recruited…
An Integrative Review of Occupational Science and Theoretical Literature Exploring Transition
An occupational perspective of the experience of transition has been developed in the peer reviewed occupational science literature. While that literature describes the elements of transition, a theory of transition has not been posited. This integrative review aims to evaluate 1) how the literature that has taken an occupational perspective captures the phenomenon of transition in healthy populations, 2) what theoretical literature beyond occupa…
Photo-Elicitation Interviewing to Capture Children's Perspectives on Family Routines
Introduction: There is little occupational science research about the routines of typically developing school-aged children. Even less exists investigating these concepts from the child's perspective. This may partly be attributed to difficulties interviewing children, children's challenges with recall, disparities in language and communication, and power differences between children and researchers. Visual methodologies can mitigate these challe…
Men's discursive constructions of balance in everyday life
Fathers' involvement in paid and unpaid activities and the notion of the ideal father is evolving in contemporary Western society. Little is known about how fathers construct balance in everyday life and what ideologies underpin these constructions. We explored balance using qualitative interviews with 15 men in dual-income heterosexual partnerships who had young children. Phenomenographic and critical discourse analyses generated two key constru…
An integrative review exploring transition following an unexpected health-related trauma
This paper addresses transition, defined as an unanticipated and unwanted passage from one life phase, condition, or status to another, following an unexpected health-related illness or trauma. It does so by reporting the results of two systematic reviews, one from literature taking an occupational perspective and the other from the broader literature. The aims of these reviews were to determine: 1) how the literature taking an occupational persp…
How mothers experience their adolescents’ first year in high school
Transitions can have a profound impact on the person, their environment, and their occupations. Entering high school is a transition that has implications not only for the adolescent, but also for their family members. A greater understanding from an occupation perspective of how people and groups adapt to life transitions of one person is critical to understanding transition. The study objective was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived…
The Breadth of Discovery in Occupational Science
A Pledge to Mobilize Against Racism
Dear Colleagues, The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, USA is yet another signifier of the persistent and systemic racism that pervades communities internationally. His death at police hands i
This is me”
Introduction Transitions are universal, intricate experiences and have been well documented in the occupational literature. However, literature on gay men’s experiences of transitioning through the coming-out process from an occupational perspective is lacking. This study focuses on men who have chosen to make their sexuality known on their own terms. Objective: To explore the transition of coming-out for gay men through an occupational perspecti…
A Pledge to Mobilize Against Racism – Translated
The members of the Journal of Occupational Science issued a pledge to mobilize against racism in August 2020. Part of that pledge was an undertaking to “mentor and encourage authors and reviewers t
Learning about occupation together
This paper outlines the approach to learning and knowing occupation adopted in a graduate level seminar focussed on the relationship between human occupation and society. Drawing on elements of transformational learning theory and critical pedagogy for the course design, instructors and students in the seminar engaged in a collective process of learning about occupation. Rather than focusing on the topical content of the course, this article outl…
Exploring occupations and well-being before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in adults with and without inflammatory arthritis
To decrease the spread of the COVID-19 virus, public health officials in British Columbia, Canada ordered large-scale physical distancing requirements, leading to school and business closures, banning of large gatherings, and travel restrictions. These requirements shifted people’s occupational repertoires, with vulnerable populations (e.g., those with chronic health conditions) possibly being differentially impacted. To learn more about people’s…
Responsibility as humans
Small grains are a group of ancient grains that have been cultivated in different parts of the world for thousands of years, have high nutritional value, are resistant to drought, play a key role in agricultural resilience, and are adaptive to climate change. Of emerging concern globally, however, is that several varieties of small grains and related agricultural knowledge and practices are disappearing owing to the promotion and efficiency of in…
Meaning of small grains cultivation as a traditional occupation in Japan
Traditional occupations hold important meanings, as they have been passed down from generation to generation. However, many occupations are endangered due to shifting practices and standards associated with globalization. The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of the traditional occupation of small grains cultivation in Japan, which has been integral to farming in the region for over 2,800 years. Ethnography and community-engaged re…
Special issue
The conference theme, 'Occupation and society: Global to local perspectives for the future', recognized that all human engagement in daily occupations occurs within context.The papers in this special issue highlight the complex relations between human occupation and society, and address the varied ways that occupational engagement is shaped, in part, by the ways that occupations are 'situated' (e.g., historically, politically, geographically, etc…
Occupational security
In an ongoing era of global-scale, cascading, and intersecting crises, including climate change impacts, ongoing armed conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic, security is becoming increasingly challenging.The escalating dangers and restrictions arising from these events, adversely affecting life itself and related occupations, has resulted in insecurity disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable and marginalized communities.This often contrib…
Filmmaking as a research method
Psychology (19 works) · Sociology (14 works) · Occupational Therapy Practice and Research (13 works) · Political science (12 works) · Occupational science (11 works) · Occupational Therapy (9 works) · Perspective (graphical (5 works) · Social Psychology (5 works) · Balance (ability (4 works) · Computer Science (4 works)