Development of the concept of occupation & occupational science
Description
Moral Treatment Movement (19th C)
Mental health
Constant employment & routine
‘Give a man constant employment, treat him with uniform kindness and respect, and, however insane he may be, very little may be feared from him, either of mischief or indolence’ (Peloquin 1989, p. 540)
Development of
the concept of
occupation &
occupational
science
1800s -
Moral
Treatment
Movement
Constant employment &
routine
‘Give a man constant employment,
treat him with uniform kindness and
respect, and, however insane he may
be, very little may be feared from him,
either of mischief or indolence’
(Peloquin 1989, p. 540)
1880s - 1930s -
Arts & Crafts
Movement
Sole or small group production
of objects (rather than mass
production) gives meaning
1920s - Adolph Meyer
Importance on how time is spent (occupied). Work can lead
to self-respect. Environment & daily life affects a person’s
mental well-being.
1960s - Mary
Reilly
Call for return to focus on occupation. ‘man through the use of his hands, as they
are energized by his mind and will, can influence the state of his own health.’
1980s onwards
Anne Cronin Mosey
OCCUPATIONAL SCIENCE
OCCUPATIONAL SCIENCE should be
separate from Occupational Therapy
Occupational Science should concentrate on
theory development through basic scientific
research & not practical application
Occupational Therapy should concentrate on
testing and refinement of frames of reference
(over-arching collection of theories) through
applied research (i.e. practical application)
Suitable theoretical information from
numerous other disciplines should be
used to support occupational practice
To avoid confusion over what was theory
and what was profession & to ensure
research was appropriately focussed
OCCUPATION
Individuals have inherent
needs for work, play & rest
Participation in major social roles is
OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Individuals are socially &
culturally influenced
Individuals reach their potential through
purposeful interaction with the human &
non-human environment
OCCUPATION is a factor that is influenced by
PERFORMANCE COMPONENTS & OCCUPATIONAL
PERFORMANCE of an individual
Cognitive, psychological & social skills are
PERFORMANCE COMPONENTS & are
fundamental to these social roles
Individuals seek equilibrium
Humans adapt actions & behaviours based on
their psychological & physical circumstance &
their environment
Florence Clark
OCCUPATIONAL SCIENCE
OCCUPATIONAL SCIENCE should be
allied to Occupational Therapy
Occupational Science is 'an academic
discipline, the purpose of which is to
generate knowledge about the form, the
function and the meaning of human
occupation'
OCCUAPATIONAL SCIENCE has a unique focus
which cannot be fully investigated by scholars
from other disciplines, although it can benefit
from knowledge from other disciplines
Occupation can be explored through
subjective and qualitative approaches as well
as experimental & objective means
OCCUPATION
Occupation is 'chunks of culturally &
personally meaningful activity in which
humans engage that can be named in
the lexicon of our culture'
Occupations are embedded in human lives, taking on
different meanings dependant on context & cutlure
'....occupation must be studied within the
context of both the immediate
environment & the person's history....'
'.....occupation is fired by the person's
drive for efficacy & competency....'
'....occupation cannot be fully understood
without consideration of its significane to
the individual...
Occupation includes work, rest, leisure & play
1993 Journal of Occupational Science
Elizabeth
Yerxa
OCCUPATIONAL SCIENCE
Coined term
‘OCCUPATIONAL SCIENCE’
(PhD 1989)
‘OCCUPATIONAL SCIENCE’ is
'the study of the human need as
an occupational being including
the need for and capacity to
engage in and orchestrate daily
occupations in the environment
over a lifespan'.
Occupational science
seen as a basic science -
i.e. one that dealt with
'universal issues about
occupation without
concern for their
immediate application'
OCCUPATION
Occupations - work, play, rest, leisure & other necessary occupations
Occupations - culturally & socially influenced
Humans adapt to environment by performing occupations
Occupations define who we are, are performed &
organised by an individual & are goal-directed
Occupations are not instinctually carried out; they are chosen
Experience of performing occupations, affects
perception of quality of life
1917 est. of National Society for the
Promotion of Occupational Therapy
Initial objectives included '....the study of the effects of
occupation upon the human being & the dissemintation
of scientific knowlege on this subject' (Dunton et al 1917)
OCCUPATIONAL SCIENCE
Concept of occupation is the focus of the enquiry
Issue - knowledge generation which from the
outset is concerned how knowledge can be used
by practitioners vs. knowledge generation
without guidance on how to use in practice
Understanding humans as occupational beings /
explicating the relationship between occupation &
health