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Macy Sutton Ed.D., is a 2026 graduate of the Ed.D. program in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University.

Dissertation Committee:

Kristine Tucker, Ed.D., Committee Chair 

Sarah Bexell, Ph.D., Committee Member

Carole Dennis, Sc.D., Committee Member

Keywords

occupational justice, occupational therapy, humane education, anthropocentrism, speciesism, animals, oppression, transformative learning, course design

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Occupational therapy positions itself as a holistic, justice-oriented profession, yet many of its theories, practices, and educational standards reflect Eurocentric values and assumptions. Even occupational justice, the disciplinary concept specifically concerned with advancing a more just world, is steeped in coloniality. Critical scholars have increasingly critiqued particular oppressive structures embedded in the field, such as ableism and white supremacy; however, anthropocentrism remains largely unchallenged. In the occupational justice literature, anthropocentrism operates primarily through omission; that is, animals are absent from most scholarly works. This gap is significant because anthropocentrism contributes to prejudice, oppression, and discrimination not only toward animals and the environment but also toward humans. Thus, anthropocentrism is incompatible with justice and needs to be challenged in occupational therapy scholarship, education, and practice. This dissertation addresses anthropocentrism through the design of a graduate-level course that reimagines occupational justice through a humane education lens. Humane education emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans, other animals, and the planet and is fundamentally non-anthropocentric. Complementary concepts introduced in both the dissertation and the course include decoloniality, linked oppressions, speciesism, and ecological justice. The course is grounded in transformative learning theory and dialogic learning theory and incorporates Universal Design for Learning principles. Overall, this dissertation contributes to emerging scholarship on anthropocentrism in occupational therapy and argues that the field must confront this oppressive system in order to fulfill its commitment to justice. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

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ORCID No. 0009-0005-6439-9721

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