Pragmatism and structuralism in occupational therapy: the long conversation

Area of Science:

• The study is situated within the cultural and philosophical underpinnings of occupational therapy.
• It examines the historical evolution of professional identity through the lens of competing philosophical paradigms.

Background:

• Occupational therapy's history is shaped by the interplay of pragmatism and structuralism.
• Pragmatism views humans as agentic and knowledge as contextual, while structuralism sees humans as framework-based and knowledge as objective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze how pragmatist and structuralist discourses have influenced occupational therapy's professional identity.
• To explore the historical development of occupational therapy's tools, methods, and outcomes.
• To identify the root causes of persistent professional identity challenges.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of occupational therapy's development.
• Examination of the philosophical assumptions underlying the profession's practices.
• Critical evaluation of the transaction between pragmatism and structuralism in shaping professional identity.

Main Results:

• The field adopted a hybrid approach, using pragmatist language for humans but structuralist methods for knowledge.
• This resulted in an "interesting mix" leading to ongoing professional identity issues.
• Conflicting assumptions created divergent interpretations of appropriate practice.

Conclusions:

• Occupational therapy's identity challenges stem from the unresolved tension between pragmatist and structuralist influences.
• Current developments provide an opportunity to critically re-evaluate these foundational assumptions.
• A careful reading of the prevailing cultural ethos can help resolve historical identity problems.