Research Proposal
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Rationale
3. Research question/hypothesis
4. Aims and objectives of the proposed research study
5. Research design and methodological approach
6. Ethical considerations
7. Projected outcomes
8. Conclusion
9. Bibliography
Introduction
Nowadays, the number of Latin American immigrants in the inner London boroughs
constantly grows. Naturally, as they arrive from different countries they have
different socio-cultural background and even those Latin Americans, who have
already got certain experience and have been living in the UK for some period
of time, are, as a rule, the first or second generation of immigrants. Consequently,
they sustained a close links with their motherland and often face certain problems
with integration in London society.
Obviously this problem is extremely serious and needs to be thoroughly researched
in order to find a possible solution which could be effective enough and permitted
to overcome the existing socio-cultural barriers that exist in the life of thousands
of Latin American immigrants in the inner London boroughs. In this respect,
it is worthy of mention that the assistance of occupational therapist is often
essential, especially in serious cases when Latin American immigrants simply
turn to be in isolation from the rest of London society and cannot fully realize
their skills and abilities and find their own place in life. Among the recent
trends of treatment of Latin American immigrants who have such serious problems
may be named the use of interpreters by occupational therapist which can really
help close the socio-cultural gap between Latin American immigrants and occupational
therapists as well as London society at large. It is extremely important because
this aspect of the problem of overcoming multicultural barriers by Latin American
immigrants remains merely researched.
Rationale
In fact, the research of the perspective of the use of interpreters by occupational
therapists as an effective tool, which can really help overcome multicultural
barriers of Latin American immigrants in the inner London boroughs in the UK,
is really important and necessary. Basically, there are several reasons that
can explain such a significance of the research of this area.
First of all, it should be said that many Latin American immigrants face serious
problems and need a professional treatment from the part of occupational therapists.
In this respect, it should be pointed out that the number of Latin American
immigrants in the inner London boroughs as well as in the UK constantly grows
and this growth is quite fast since within a decade from 1990 to early 2000s,
the number of Latin American immigrants has grown substantially.
However, the lack of mutual understanding and simply miscomprehension of needs,
motivations, behaviour, values, culture in general, make the help of occupational
therapist of low efficiency, thus depriving many Latin American immigrants from
effective treatment. In actuality, according to the existing researchers often
multicultural barriers turn to be too strong and simply unsurpassable.
In such a situation, the use of interpreters in the work of occupational therapists
with Latin American immigrants can be really helpful as they possess a profound
knowledge of the language and, thus, know socio-cultural background and ethic
values of Latin Americans, their lifestyle and habits. Consequently, they may
be potentially very helpful closing the gap between not only between Latin American
immigrants and occupational therapists but between Latin American community
in the inner London boroughs and the rest of London society at large.
However, this potential is hidden, at the present moment, and neither specialists
nor the wide public can fully assess the extent, to which the use of interpreters
by occupation therapists can be effective. Nonetheless, regardless the fact
that this question remains under-researched, the potential benefits of the use
of interpreters by occupational therapists are obvious and have been already
mentioned above.
This research of this problem is particularly important in the context of the
growing number of Latin American immigrants in the inner London boroughs that
means that the problems they face in the new country gradually aggravate and
the effective help from the part of occupational therapists become vitally important
to many of them. At the same time, it is worthy of mention that, to a significant
extent, the problems of Latin American immigrants are relatively new to occupational
therapists not because they differ in principle but because Latin Americans
need a different approach compared to other ethnic groups occupational therapists
have a longer experience of work with. And again it should be said that the
use of interpreters, being quite innovative in the practice of occupational
therapist, is also worthy of attention of specialists and should be researched.
Moreover, the use of interpreters by occupational therapists is important not
only in terms of their direct professional practice as specialists working with
a definite category of people, but it is also important in larger terms of social
and health care because the assistance of interpreters means the growing cooperation
of health and social workers and, what is more, they would not simply help in
terms of health care but they would also bring cultural and social value to
the treatment of Latin American immigrants who need the help of occupational
therapists.
Naturally, the research of the use of interpreters by occupational therapists,
being quite new, should be based on the effective methodology and involve possibly
more efficient methods of research. In this respect, it should be said that,
because of the complexity of the problem, it is possible to recommend the application
of a variety of methods that would provide ample information about the Latin
American community of the inner London boroughs, its problems and the perspectives
of the use of interpreters in the treatment of those Latin Americans who really
need it. Practically, this means that the analysis of statistics and research
of specialists opinion would be of a paramount importance as well as the position
of Latin American immigrants themselves.
Research question/hypothesis
Basically, the research should be focused on the problems Latin American immigrants
are currently facing in the inner London boroughs and the opportunities of occupational
therapist to help them. To put it more precisely, it is necessary to primarily
identify whether the use of interpreters by occupational therapists in their
treatment of Latin American immigrants will increase the effectiveness of the
treatment or not, or probably, it will even have quite the opposite result and,
in stark contrast to expectations, it could have some negative consequences
which remain unseen before the profound research of the problem.
In fact, it should be pointed out that, because of the lack of researches dedicated
to the problem of the use of interpreters by occupational therapists to overcome
the existing multicultural barriers of Latin American immigrants in London,
it is really difficult to definitely say what will be the actual positive consequences
of the assistance of interpreters and whether they can really outweigh possible
negative consequences if any could be found in terms of the proposed research
and this is actually the question the research is supposed to answer.
At the same time, it is worthy of mention that the proposed research is not
totally new since there exist certain researches dedicated to the importance
of the language in the work of occupational therapists with their clients. Practically,
it mans that the existing researchers have already proven the effectiveness
of the development of language skills and improving language proficiency as
an effective tool that could be used by occupational therapists in the treatment
of their clients. In this respect, it should be said that the bilingual education
is considered to be particularly perspective. Consequently, it is obvious that,
as the researchers show that the language skills and proficiency are really
important, the question concerning the effectiveness of interpreters in the
cooperation with occupational therapists may get to be more concrete. Notably,
it would be possible to focus on the research of positive effects of the language
therapy that may be developed by interpreters and occupational therapists who
would mutually enrich each other using their own knowledge and experience in
different field being applied to the treatment of Latin American immigrants
in the inner London boroughs.
Aims and objectives of the proposed research study
Obviously, a reliable research can be conducted only when its objectives are
clearly defined. This is why, speaking about the use of interpreters by occupational
therapists to overcome multicultural barriers of Latin American immigrants in
the inner London boroughs in the UK, it is primarily necessary to point out
that one of the major goals of the research is to clearly define the need of
Latin American Immigrants in the UK at large and the inner London boroughs in
particular. It means that it is necessary not only to define the number of Latin
American immigrants in the defined area but also to single out those immigrants
who really need the help of occupational therapists and, on this basis, reveal
their actual needs and forecast their future needs they will have in the process
of treatment and integration in the new socio-cultural as well as economic environment.
On the other hand, it will be necessary to achieve another objective, to assess
the potential of the use of interpreters by occupational therapists in overcoming
multicultural barriers by Latin American immigrants on the basis of their actual
needs and the potential problems they may have. This means that it is necessary
to define where interpreters can be used and help professional occupational
therapists. In this respect, it is possible to remind about the potential of
the language therapy, for instance.
Furthermore, it is necessary to clearly define the potential benefits of the
use of interpreters by occupational therapists. In this respect, it will be
necessary to refer to the importance of socio-cultural background in the treatment
of Latin American immigrants as well as many other clients of occupational therapists.
Obviously, this means that it is necessary to define the points where the cooperation
of interpreters and occupational therapists would be particularly fruitful.
Practically, it means that it will necessary to pay a particular attention to
the language therapy as an effective tool that can be used by occupational therapists
and in which interpreters may be extremely helpful since they possess a profound
knowledge of language and, what is more, they better understand socio-cultural
background of Latin American immigrants, their traditions, ethic and moral norms,
lifestyle, etc. This may be viewed as the basis of the cooperation of interpreters
and occupational therapists.
At the same time, it will be necessary to define the potential difficulties
occupational therapists can face while using interpreters to overcome multicultural
barriers of Latin American immigrants. In this respect, it is possible to focus
on lack of linguistic experience of occupational therapists and, in contrast,
the lack of knowledge of interpreters about the work of occupational therapists.
This is why it would be possible to dwell upon the perspective of mutual enrichment
of experience of both interpreters and occupational therapists who could acquire
new knowledge from each other that is essential in their work.
Finally, it is necessary find out the perspectives of the further use of interpreters
by occupational therapists. In other words, this means the perspectives of the
use of interpreters by occupational therapists in relation to other ethnic groups
as well as the perspectives of the language therapy, for instance, to Latin
American immigrants by occupational therapists and probable enlargement of their
professional skills and knowledge that could also include linguistic skills
and knowledge.
Research design and methodological approach
Obviously, the research could reach positive outcome only on the condition that
the research design and methodology would be effective enough. In this respect,
it should be pointed out that, taking into consideration the complexity of the
problem, it is necessary to apply both quantitative and qualitative methods
of the research. Unquestionably, in order to meet the goals of the proposed
research and objectively assess the potential and perspectives of the use of
interpreters by occupational therapists to overcome serious multicultural barriers
the use of only quantitative or qualitative methods would be insufficient since
it is really hardly possible to definitely assess the effectiveness of the use
of interpreters in relation to multicultural barriers which rather need qualitative
analysis than quantitative. On the other hand, speaking about Latin American
immigrants quantitative methods would quite helpful to properly assess the scale
of the problem and the resources that would be needed to the solution of their
problems.
Speaking about methodologies that can be applied in the proposed research, it
should be pointed out that first of all it will be necessary to collect and
analyze of statistical data. It means that one of the suggested methods of the
research is statistical analysis of the current situation in Latin American
community in the inner London boroughs. To put it more precisely it will be
necessary to collect statistical data concerning the number of Latin American
immigrants in the area, find out the number of those who really need the help
of occupational therapists. Furthermore, judging from the number of the clients
it will be possible to define the number of interpreters that could assist to
occupational therapists as well as reveal the major trends, notably the growing
need of the help of occupational therapists, and, thus, interpreters, if the
number of immigrants who need help steadily grows, for instance.
At the same time, it is also possible to recommend using interviews of specialists
related to the problem. To put it more precisely, it is necessary to involve
or interview not only occupational therapists or specialists from the field
of healthcare but it will be also quite important to involve interpreters and
linguists who could provide more information on the potential and effectiveness
of the use of language skills and proficiency, as well as the knowledge of socio-cultural
background based on the knowledge of language, in communication with Latin American
immigrants. Moreover, linguists as well as occupational and healthcare specialists
can be also helpful as experts in the field of language therapy.
Basically, it is possible to interview specialists who have already worked on
this or similar problems as well as it will be quite important to analyze the
opinion of independent specialists that analyze the problem of overcoming multicultural
barriers by Latin American immigrants and the perspective of the use of interpreters
by occupational therapists.
On the other hand, it is also possible to interview Latin American immigrants
as well in order to find out their real problems they are currently facing,
their needs, expectations, etc. In this respect, it would rather possible to
recommend the using of questionnaires which should be bilingual so that Latin
American immigrants could easily understand questions and provide the information
they are asked for.
It should be pointed out that the collection of data from Latin American immigrants
should comprise the first stage of the research and after that it will be possible
to involve the specialists, such as occupational therapists, interpreters, linguists,
etc. in order to assess the potential perspectives of the use of interpreters
by occupational therapists to overcome barriers of Latin American immigrants
that were found out at the first stage of the research.
In brief, the following schedule of the research could be recommended. First
of all, it is possible to start the research with the defining the major problem,
i.e. entering Norwegian wheat market and related problems and perspectives.
Than it is necessary to define the main objectives of the research, carefully
select methods that could applied. After that it is necessary to collect essential
information and analyze it. As a result, it will be possible to properly assess
the current situation and make a plausible forecast for the future development
and effectiveness of the use of interpreters by occupational therapists to overcome
multicultural barriers of Latin American immigrants in the inner London boroughs.
Furthermore, it is necessary to take into consideration the research budget
which should include the costs on collecting statistical data, interviews, analysis
and evaluation of information received that will naturally need the work of
reliable specialists experienced in statistical analysis and forecasting.
Finally, it will be necessary to take into consideration that the analysis of
the validity and reliability of the data and information collected are also
of a paramount importance since can influence substantially the outcomes of
the research.
Ethical considerations
Unquestionably, the proposed research should take into consideration ethical
aspects of the problem since the involvement of interpreters that are not related
to health care system and, thus, are not healthcare professionals as occupational
therapists are. Practically, this means that they are actually not prepared
to work with the clients of occupational therapists since they hardly know the
existing ethical norms and values that regulate the behaviour of occupational
therapists.
This is why it is necessary to be very careful on analyzing the results of the
research since it involves important ethical issues. Moreover, the proposed
research of the use of interpreters by occupational therapists should take into
consideration the problem of effective interaction of the triangle a Latin American
immigrant-interpreter-occupational therapist.
Projected outcomes
Forecasting the possible outcomes, it is possible to say that the proposed research
would reveal the extent to which multicultural barriers are serious in the Latin
American community of the inner London boroughs. Also, the research will also
help better realize what the actual problems Latin American immigrants suffer
from are.
Moreover, it will be possible to assess and evaluate the potential of the use
of interpreters by occupational therapists in overcoming these multicultural
barriers of Latin American immigrants. In this respect, it should be said that
the opinion of specialists and the reliability and validity of the data and
information collected by researchers will be of a paramount importance.
Conclusion
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is possible to conclude that
the proposed research is really important as it will contribute to a more profound
analysis of the existing problems of Latin American immigrants in the inner
London boroughs and, what is more, this research will also help find alternative
ways of their solution or, to put it more precisely, improve the existing ones.
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