This study adopted narrative inquiry to explore the unique voices of individuals seeking asylum in the UK, in order to examine shifts in occupational identity over time. This study examined the stories of 14 people seeking asylum to understand how occupational identities were maintained, modified or reconstructed, alongside how occupation was employed through their asylum journeys. Participants shared stories, enacting their choice of participation through one-to-one discussion, photovoice or walking interviews. Theoretically situated within the disciplines of Occupational Therapy and occupational science, viewing humans as occupational and social beings, this study explored how the doing of occupations influenced identity. Person centred principles of Occupational Therapy were echoed, capturing the fundamental nature of relationships within narrative inquiry. Previous research reveals complex occupational issues as a persistent concern for people seeking asylum, however emphasis of such, has frequently considered the asylum-seeking process in its entirety, reflecting occupational participation pre and post migration without exclusive perspective on occupational identity. Therefore, reflected in this study are storied experiences of seeking asylum with a unique position of focusing on occupational identity. This study contributed to the emergent theoretical evidence base of occupational identity using the three-dimensional space framework developed by Clandinin and Connelly (1990). Stories of participants were permeated with interconnectedness of past, present and future discourses by revealing an original contribution of the well-known overarching hero story plot of “The Quest”. Participants stories reflected “The Quest” narrative to illustrate how participants upon “Their Departure” received their “call” to embark upon their “quest” of seeking asylum, encountering the “road of trials” how participants fought on their precarious journeys in order to protect their self-being. “The Return” narrative encapsulated participants spirituality, hope and future becoming, for a better life depicting the centrality of evolving occupational identities. The study conceptualised the original contribution of “The triad of occupational hope”, which revealed the criticality of spirituality to occupational identity and how occupation was employed in three unique ways: occupation as navigator, occupation as protector and occupation as mediator. This original contribution affords the occupational science and occupational therapy communities’ further insight of the capacity of occupational opportunities for those seeking asylum, to live life their way.
| Date of Award | 6 Aug 2025 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Philip Brown (Main Supervisor) |
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