Clare Hocking

The challenge of occupation: Describing the things people do

This article proposes that to fulfil the vision of the founders of the discipline, occupational scientists must develop a new strand of research and scholarship dedicated to generating knowledge of occupation itself, rather than peoples engagement in it. The goal is to inform both occupational science and therapy by providing knowledge of the occupations people strive to engage in and their impact and importance. Such investigations would encompass the capacities, knowledge and skills required for participation; who participates and what is done; the rules, norms or processes governing participation; where and when participation occurs, using what resources; the regularity, duration, tempo and steps involved; the history of an occupation; its function and outcomes; the kinds of meanings it holds; its sociocultural, political, economic, geographic and historical context, and how occupations influence health. Ethical responsibilities in generating this body of knowledge are outlined, including dispelling normative assumptions, serving occupational justice and considering issues of sustainability. Building this unique body of knowledge will require both synthesis of interdisciplinary knowledge and gathering objective and subjective accounts of occupation.

Occupational science: A stock take of accumulated insights

Abstract This article examines the diversity of scholarship associated with occupational science to date, particularly focusing on literature published within the Journal of Occupational Science and in occupational therapy journals. The potential contribution of Strausss 1993 Theory of Action is also highlighted. The achievements of occupational science are analysed, from the perspective of understanding the elements of occupation, occupational processes and the relationship of occupation to other phenomenon such as health. Based on this analysis, potentially fruitful future research directions are identified. That different directions would have become evident had occupational science been analysed from other perspectives is strongly acknowledged.

Reflections on a Renaissance of Occupation.

At the close of the 20th century, there is a renaissance of occupation in occupational therapy and occupational science. Kielhofner (1992) offers an intraprofessional explanation that the growing interest in occupation recaptures occupational therapys lost identity. An extraprofessional explanation is that postmodern ideas and social practices have helped to create a societal context in which a renaissance of occupation is welcome. Postmodernism raises questions and awareness of power, diversity, temporality, and situatedness in which normative ideas of occupation as paid work can be challenged. Since occupation is of primary concern to occupational therapy and occupational science, the authors reflect on postmodernism and its influence on a renaissance of occupation in these two fields. These reflections consider what such a renaissance means for occupational therapists and occupational scientists in the 21st century.

The Meaning of Cooking and Recipe Work for Older Thai and New Zealand Women

Abstract In spite of disparate cultural knowledge and beliefs, and diversity of individual practices, the food‐centred occupations of older New Zealand and Thai women share common meanings. When women talk about preparing, sharing and giving foods at Christmas and Songkran, their stories uncover dimensions of meaning that span time and geography. The meanings encompass the symbolism of celebratory food, transmission of tradition and recipes from grandmothers to their daughters and granddaughters, and claiming recognition and identity through food‐centred occupations. These meanings very much seem to belong to the world of older women and their felt place in that world. For women in New Zealand these meanings arise in a context of colonisation and rapid cultural change, whereas the Thai womens experiences are predicated on an expectation of cultural continuity. The findings are drawn from a collaborative, interpretive study conducted in Auckland, New Zealand and Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2000. Focus groups were used to gather narrative data, and in this context the researchers observed women engaging in, and gaining pleasure from, talking about recipes. The phenomenon of recipe work is seldom discussed in other literature and is defined by the researchers as talking about or doing things related to recipes. Research to further explore this phenomenon is recommended.

Occupational science : society, inclusion, participation

Dedication vii About the Editors ix Contributors xi Preface xv Part I: Introduction 1 Introduction to critical perspectives in occupational science 3 Clare Hocking and Gail E. Whiteford 2 What would Paulo Freire think of occupational science? 8 Lilian Magalhaes Part II: Understanding occupation 3 Transactionalism: Occupational science and the pragmatic attitude 23 Malcolm P. Cutchin and Virginia A. Dickie 4 Understanding the discursive development of occupation: Historico-political perspectives 38 Sarah Kantartzis and Matthew Molineux 5 Occupations through the looking glass: Reflecting on occupational scientists ontological assumptions 54 Clare Hocking Part III: Ways of knowing occupation 6 Knowledge paradigms in occupational science: Pluralistic perspectives 69 Elizabeth Anne Kinsella 7 Occupation and ideology 86 Ben Sellar 8 Governing through occupation: Shaping expectations and possibilities 100 Debbie Laliberte Rudman 9 When occupation goes wrong : A critical reflection on risk discourses and their relevance in shaping occupation 117 Silke Dennhardt and Debbie Laliberte Rudman Part IV: Ways of doing in occupational science 10 The case for multiple research methodologies 137 Valerie A. Wright-St Clair 11 Occupational choice: The significance of socio-economic and political factors 152 Roshan Galvaan 12 The International Society for Occupational Science: A critique of its role in facilitating the development of occupational science through international networks and intercultural dialogue 163 Alison Wicks Part V: Visioning a way forward 13 Occupation, inclusion and participation 187 Gail E. Whiteford and Robert B. Pereira Index 209

The interconnected meanings of occupation: The call, being‐with, possibilities

While a range of literature has explored the meaning of occupation, the lived experience of occupation has been relatively neglected. In this hermeneutic phenomenological study 12 New Zealand adults who had experienced a disruption to their occupations were interviewed, on the assumption that disruption reveals things that are usually overlooked. The data were analysed by identifying key themes and engaging in a hermeneutic process informed by the philosophies of Heidegger and Gadamer. The findings suggest that the meaning of occupation is complex and tends to remain hidden. Three facets of meaning that work in unison, each interconnected with the other, emerged from analysis; the Call, Being‐with and Possibilities. The findings of this study are considered in relation to selected literature, to build on current understandings of the meaning of the occupation. While the study is acknowledged to have limitations in terms of sampling, the findings do have implications for occupational science which include building on knowledge of the meaning of occupation and considering occupation from a context wider than that of the individual.

Participation in Home Therapy Programs for Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Compelling Challenge:

In this grounded theory study, the authors purposed to generate a conceptual model of the experience of parents and therapists involved in home therapy programs for children with cerebral palsy. There were 12 participants: 4 therapists and 8 parents. Through constant comparative method of analysis, a process emerged interpreted as the compelling challenge comprising two time-distinct phases that described the parents’ journey of adjustment and their capacity to participate in activities to improve their child’s abilities. Initially, parents were coming to grips with the diagnosis, and this precluded their full involvement in home activities. However, at a point of breakthrough, they entered a phase of high participation interpreted as striving to maximize. The authors discuss the implications of this process for service providers and therapists.

Having and using objects in the western world

Abstract This interpretive study explores how Western people construct self and express identity though the objects they acquire, make and use in their day‐to‐day occupation. Drawing on literature from psychology, consumer research, sociology, anthropology, disability studies and popular literature, it proposes that people use objects to reflect self and identity, and to transform self and others. Using a history of ideas methodology, the author argues that Western people take for granted that the objects they have and use reflect an individual rather than collective identity, and suggests that the ways people use objects to construct self and identity are informed by the philosophies of both Stoicism, which emphasises self discipline and rational decision making, and Romanticism which celebrates peoples emotional depth, creativity and self expression.

A model for play-based intervention for children with ADHD

BACKGROUND/AIM The importance of play in the social development of children is undisputed. Even though children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience serious social problems, there is limited research on their play. By integrating literature on ADHD with literature on play, we can postulate how play is influenced by the characteristics of ADHD. These postulations enabled us to propose a theoretical model (proposed model) to depict the interactive process between the characteristics of ADHD and factors that promote play. This paper presents the revised model and principles for intervention based on the results of a study investigating the play of children with ADHD (reported elsewhere). METHODS We tested the proposed model in a study comparing two groups of children (n = 350) between the ages of 5 and 11 years. One group consisted of children diagnosed with ADHD (n = 112) paired with playmates (n = 112) who were typically developing; the control group consisted of typically developing children paired with typically developing playmates (n = 126). The Test of Playfulness was administered, and the model was revised in line with the findings. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest difficulties in the social play and lack of interpersonal empathy in the play of children with ADHD. We draw on the revised model to propose preliminary principles for play-based interventions for children with ADHD. The principles emphasise the importance of capturing the motivation of children with ADHD, counteracting the effects of lack of interpersonal empathy, and considerations for including playmates in the intervention process.

A Phenomenological Study of Occupational Engagement in Recovery from Mental Illness

Background. Recovery from mental illness has been described as a process involving personal growth and a search for meaning. Occupation is a primary medium for human development as well as the creation of life meaning, suggesting the exploration of recovery from an occupational perspective is warranted. Purpose. To explore the experience and meaning of occupation for 13 people who self-identified as being in recovery from mental illness. Methods. Recovery narratives were collected from participants in conversational interviews that were recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were analysed using hermeneutic phenomenology. Findings. A range of experiences were evident in the recovery narratives, from complete disengagement to full engagement in occupations. Insights into the experience and meaning of different states of occupation were revealed. Implications. All forms of occupational engagement, including disengagement, can be meaningful in the recovery process. Increased understanding of different modes of occupational engagement will assist therapists to support recovery more effectively.