1. Chapter 1 What Is Occupation?
Khalilah Robinson Johnson, Virginia Dickie

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“Mr. Jourdain. You mean to say that when I say, ‘Nicole, fetch me my slippers’ or ‘Give me my nightcap’ that’s prose?
Philosopher. Certainly, sir.
Mr. Jourdain. Well, my goodness! Here I’ve been talking prose for forty years and never known it ”
—Moliere (1670)
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Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to:
Identify and evaluate ways of knowing occupation.
Articulate different ways of defining and classifying occupation.
Describe the relationship between occupation and context.
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Knowing and Learning about Occupation
Many occupations are ordinary.
Part daily living
Are taken for granted
Occupations can be special when they:
Happen infrequently or
Carry important symbolic meaning
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Knowing and Learning about Occupation—(cont.)
Occupation is a biological imperative.
Evident in human evolutionary history
Current behaviors of primate relatives
Survival needs are met through occupation
Humans also have occupational needs beyond survival.
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6. The Need to Understand Occupation
OT practitioners base their work on understanding of occupation and its role in health and survival.
OT practitioners can know occupation by:
Looking inward—examining its form, function, and meaning
Looking outward—with observation through an “occupational lens”
Turn to research and scholarship to understand occupation.
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Defining Occupation
Defining occupation in OT is challenging.
Part of common language with meanings that the profession cannot control
OT founders used the word occupation to describe a way of “properly” using time.
Definitions of occupation from OT literature help in explaining why occupation is the profession’s focus.
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8. Context and Occupation
Specific meaning of an occupation is known only to the individual engaged in the occupation.
Occupations take place in context, including:
Time
Physical space
Past experiences
Social and cultural contexts
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9. Context and Occupation—(cont.)
Person, occupation, and context are inseparable.
But contexts may be changeable.
OT interventions cannot be context free.
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10. Is Occupation Always Good?
In OT, occupation is associated with health and well-being (as a means and end).
Occupation can also be unhealthy, dangerous, maladaptive, or destructive to self or others.
Can contribute to societal problems and environmental degradation
OT practitioners must also acknowledge the breadth of occupational choices.
Are effects on individuals and the world itself adaptive or maladaptive?
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11. Organizing Occupation
Categorization of occupations is often problematic.
Example: Distinction between work and leisure is not always clear.
Individuals may experience the same occupation in very different ways.
The construct of occupation might defy efforts to define and categorize.
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