Keeping occupation front and centre to address the challenges of transcending the individual

In this paper I propose an integrated theoretical and methodological approach that addresses the relationship of human occupation and health, and supports analysis at an occupational level. It incorporates subjective experiences of occupation and is compatible with a range of measurement and evaluation methods. The central premise of the discussion is that, in occupational science, transcending the individual is a matter of making more effective use of existing resources rather than searching for new approaches. Occupational science must place occupation front and centre in its theoretical approaches, using the four dimensions of occupation (doing, being, becoming and belonging) as a means to explore the universal issues and broad assumptions of this phenomenon. The dimensions of occupation are then utilised as a framework for analysis of current evidence, to integrate theoretical and evidentiary ways of knowing into a cohesive approach. An occupational profile of housework is provided to highlight the outcomes of this approach, highlighting both gaps in current knowledge and areas ripe for further inquiry. As the unit of analysis shifts from the individual to occupations, the concept of measurement needs to shift from the individual studies to bodies of evidence, to enable a comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of occupation. Were this approach to be adopted, occupational scientists could continue to pursue their basic science studies, while occupational therapists would have easier access to the discipline’s insights in a format that promotes translation to practice.