Professional identity of occupational therapists: a discussion based on Erving Goffman's concept of stigma

Abstract

This work relates the notion of Occupational Therapy professional identity with the book "Stigma: notes on the management of spoiled identity", written by Canadian sociologist Erving Goffman. An articulation is tried between the professional field and a specific set of concepts which were developed by the author in the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactions. Such concepts, related to social information, are applied to professional everyday situations so that it is possible to verify that the manipulations occur in the professional identity in a very similar way to those described by Goffman in his book. The analysis is complemented by national and international papers and academic studies in the field of Occupational Therapy, on the theme of professional identity. Although the study of professional identity requires different approaches, it is possible to conclude that the ideas of the author present a significant contribution to the reflections on the subject.