Journal article review: Rethinking occupational categories and theories of occupation
Whalley Hammell K (2009) Self-care, productivity,
and leisure, or dimensions of occupational experience? Rethinking
occupational “categories” Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy
and Whalley Hammell K (2009) Sacred texts: A sceptical exploration
of the assumptions underpinnings theories of occupation Canadian
Journal of Occupational Therapy - reviewed by Dr Katrina
Bannigan, Director of RCOMH
Theory and research are closely aligned because they are
interlinked activities. Research is used in different ways to test
or generate theory and theory shapes research. Theory is important
because it helps us to understand what is going on. However if our
theory is flawed our research will be flawed. Two articles by Karen
Whalley Hammell have been published in the Canadian Journal of
Occupational Therapy this year that challenges some of the theory
generated by occupational therapists about occupation. In the first
paper Whalley Hammell questions occupational therapists core
beliefs and assumptions, namely that occupations can be categorised
as self-care, productivity (work) or leisure (play), and suggests
the theory about occupation that has been developed to date is
culturally specific, contestable and lacking in supportive
evidence. In the second paper she unpacks further her argument that
the categories of self-care, productivity (work) or leisure (play)
are too simplistic; reflecting a culturally specific, class-bound,
and ableist perspective, and explores a possible direction for
future research. If she is right, and it is up to you to read her
work and to decide for yourself if she is, these ideas will have
profound implications not only for practice but for the way
research about occupation is conducted. I urge you to have some fun
and read these two extremely intellectually stimulating papers.
Please feel free to send any reflections on them that are relevant
to the work of RCOMH to RCOMH@yorksj.ac.uk.
If you would like to read these papers the full references
are:
Whalley Hammell K (2009) Sacred texts: A sceptical exploration of
the assumptions underpinnings theories of occupation Canadian
Journal of Occupational Therapy 76 (1) 6-13
Whalley Hammell K (2009) Self-care, productivity, and leisure, or
dimensions of occupational experience? Rethinking occupational
“categories” Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy 76 (2)
107-114