About the name of the blog

Do we need forks? is a name that reflects my philosophy about technology - the first question we should ask is "Do I NEED this?" Will it make my life and meaningful occupations easier, or better in some way?
As a student (first time around), I remember reading a scene from a play set in the 1600s, where French nobles were wondering what to do with a fork. The social context meant that forks were unnecessary. In that time, people would bring a knife, use a spoon for liquids, and hands for everything else. In a different social context where people are concerned about hygiene, a fork seems relevant. Or you could just wash your hands really well before each meal.
This philosophy about technology relates well to frameworks of occupational therapy. We look at the person - do they really need this technology? - the occupation - how meaningful is this occupation and do they need technology to make it easier to participate in? - and the environment, which includes social factors - is this technology going to fit with their environment?

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Ergonomics of baking - analysis of the person

The question is: how does baking fit with me as a person?

On Wednesday, I baked cupcakes for my flatmate’s son’s 9th birthday, in place of a gift.  See the post above for a photo.  This fits in with a recent philosophy of mine: since I’ve returned to studying, my finances have been stretched, and last year I decided to bake sweet treats for birthdays and gifts instead of buying gifts.  I place a strong value on recognising important events in life with a gift, especially birthdays.  I also like to give something to say ‘Thank you’, or if someone is ill.  Therefore, baking fits me from a financial point of view and also spiritually, as it fits in with my values around gift giving.

I feel competent baking, as my Mum taught me the skills when I was a child.  Even though this current zest for baking is relatively recent, I can recall the basics and find following a recipe is a challenge I can meet easily, while I also have confidence to experiment.

I have time to bake, as I work from home as an occupational therapy student, and this semester has more “free time”.

While thinking about my motivation/preference to bake, I realised that I do view it as a bit of a chore, but a necessary one while I cannot afford to buy gifts.  If I have the time and am relaxed, baking can be rewarding to me, but my preference without the financial pressure would probably be to bake a lot less than I do right now.


Hopefully baking will become a habit during these three years of financial pressure and something I will continue to value.  Perhaps I view it negatively sometimes because I miss having my disposable income and see handmade gifts as a reminder of that loss.

But, like participants in a study by Haley & McKay (2004), the sense of achievement of making something and being “able to keep it or to share it with others was beneficial” (p. 127).  This feeling overrides any little niggles about the precious time it takes to bake - the sense of pride is worth it.

Reference: Haley, L. & McKay E. A. (2004). ‘Baking gives you confidence’: Users’ views of engaging in the occupation of baking. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(3), 125-128.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)