A transactional view of shedding at the Berry Men's Shed

Abstract

Shedding refers to the whole experience that occurs within a men's shed program. A transactional view of shedding at the Berry Men's Shed reveals the human and material transformations that occur as well as the resultant individual and community benefits. Understanding shedding from a transactional perspective highlights the complexity and multidimensional nature of shedding. Shedding involves more than just doing. It involves doing with others and doing for others. Moreover, a transactional view of the Berry Men's Shed demonstrates the valuable contributions of community-based, occupation-focused programs and the importance of opportunities for such programs to be developed organically. Such understandings are not gained when a view of occupation is too individualistic or when interrelations between person and context rather than their holistic transactions are studied.