Occupational intersectionality: Introduction, contextualisation, and relevance to occupational therapy practice

Intersectionality asks professionals to consider the diverse sociocultural identities and positionings that may directly or indirectly impact the day-to-day occupational lives of individuals, families, collectives, and communities. Two or more identities or diversity factors may create compounding societal positions of marginalisation, discrimination, and oppression. Intersectionality and its outcomes, when viewed through a human occupation and occupational justice perspective, are termed 'occupational intersectionality'. As a critical practice perspective, occupational intersectionality offers occupational therapists a lens to identify identities and positionings that perpetuate inequities and restrict occupational engagement and participation for individuals, families, groups, and communities.

This article will (i) review the general concept of intersectionality; (ii) introduce and define the new concept of 'occupational intersectionality'; (iii) examine its relationship to social and occupational justice, including the Participatory Occupational Justice Framework (POJF); (iv) situate occupational intersectionality within the Canadian Occupational Therapy InterRelational Practice Process (COTIPP) and the Transactional Model of Occupation (TMO); (v) illustrate its application through a vignette; and (vi) contextualise occupational intersectionality by mapping identities, positionings, and diversity factors with the key elements of the COTIPP, TMO, and POJF.

The main concepts discussed include intersectionality, occupational intersectionality, occupational privilege and power, occupational oppression, and occupational discrimination, bias, and prejudice. The sociocultural identities and positionings that contribute to occupational intersectionality are discussed in the context of the POFJ, COTIPP, and TMO.

Occupational intersectionality, as a professional stance, supports occupational therapists in recognising sociocultural identities and positionings of clients, families, groups, and communities that may hinder occupational engagement, participation, health, and wellbeing. Ongoing development, critical consideration, and practical application of occupational intersectionality are strongly recommended. Advancing this approach is essential for promoting social and occupational justice in occupational therapy practice.

No consumer or community involvement took place in relation to the drafting of this manuscript.