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Reflections on a renaissance of occupation
G Whiteford1, E Townsend, C Hocking
1School of Community Health, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia. gwhiteford@CSU.edu.au
Summary
A renaissance in occupation is reshaping occupational therapy and occupational science. Postmodernism influences this shift, challenging traditional views of work and highlighting diversity and situatedness in occupation.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Therapy
- Occupational Science
- Sociology of Occupation
Background:
- A resurgence of interest in occupation occurred in occupational therapy and occupational science at the end of the 20th century.
- This renaissance is explained intraprofessionally as a recapturing of occupational therapy's identity (Kielhofner, 1992).
- Extrapofessionally, postmodern ideas and societal shifts created a context receptive to a focus on occupation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reflect on the influence of postmodernism on the renaissance of occupation.
- To explore the implications of this renaissance for occupational therapy and occupational science in the 21st century.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of postmodernism's influence.
- Reflection on the fields of occupational therapy and occupational science.
Main Results:
- Postmodernism's emphasis on power, diversity, temporality, and situatedness challenges normative, work-centric views of occupation.
- The renaissance of occupation signifies a potential redefinition of the field's identity and practice.
Conclusions:
- Postmodernism provides a framework for understanding the contemporary renaissance of occupation.
- Occupational therapists and scientists must consider these evolving perspectives for 21st-century practice and scholarship.