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Abstract
We chart the scope, origin and purpose of occupational science, illustrating its relevance to occupational therapy with four case examples: 1) using cooking to establish relationships with community leaders, 2) applying theoretical understandings of the relationship between objects and identity to promote recovery, 3) applying Lifestyle Redesign(TM) principles to practice with adults with arthritis, and 4) addressing occupational deprivation in a secure dementia unit. We argue that occupational science will expand the boundaries of occupational therapy, as graduates familiar with that knowledge enter the profession. To conclude, we outline how therapists can access occupational science knowledge to inform their practice.
Key words
Occupational science, occupational therapy, research, practice.
Introduction
Simply put, occupational science is the formal study of the things people do; making a cup of tea, singing in a choir, working the night shift. In this article, we describe how studying ordinary occupations such as these supports the practice of occupational therapy. To do that we address the basic questions people bring to any new endeavour: What is it? Where did it come from? How is it useful? What happens next? In addressing these questions, we have an unashamed bias towards New Zealand research and literature, believing that ideas from overseas are not integrated into practice until they have been tested in our own context. We also draw on our own scholarship and practice examples of local therapists, demonstrating that New Zealand has a stake in creating and applying this emerging science.
What is occupational science?
The term Occupational science' has two components. The first, occupation, is conceptualised in the same way occupational therapists around the world understand it, whether framed as work, self-care, leisure, rest and play or more generically as "the ordinary and familiar things that people do every day" (American Occupational Therapy Association, 1995, p. 1015). While there is general acceptance that occupations are named according to the purpose they serve, such as fishing or gardening (Yerxa, 1993), various other characteristics have been proposed. These include ideas such as occupation being self-initiated chunks of activity (Yerxa et al., 1989) that are organised into patterns, routines and roles (Christiansen, 1991; Yerxa, 1998), have practical or symbolic significance (McGlaughlin Gray, 1997) and promote development (Yerxa, 1998). It is acknowledged that...