A Citation Analysis of the Concept of Occupational Possibilities

Background. The concept of occupational possibilities has been integrated within guiding documents for Canadian occupational therapy to turn attention towards implicit and explicit root factors producing occupational inequities. Purpose. This mixed-methods citation analysis examined how the concept of occupational possibilities has been used in occupation-focused scholarship, attending to the knowledge generated and how its critical intents are enacted. Method. Peer-reviewed articles citing one or both of the two seminal publications regarding occupational possibilities were included. A descriptive analysis of 93 articles was conducted, along with a qualitative analysis of 43 articles that extensively integrated the concept. Findings. The concept of occupational possibilities has been increasingly used in scholarship since 2016 in ways that have deepened understanding of the discursive, systemic and structural forces perpetuating occupational inequities, and countered individualistic conceptualizations of occupational "choice." This scholarship has identified key starting points for promoting equity through transforming occupational possibilities. Conclusion. There is an emerging body of knowledge that can inform reconfigurations of occupational therapy scholarship, education and practice in ways aligned with contemporary calls to counter occupational inequities through diversifying occupational possibilities, with such reconfigurations requiring sustained engagement in collective critical reflexivity to ensure disruption of oppressive power relations.