Summary
The categorisation of the environment under the four headings typically used in occupational therapy theories constrains thinking and, potentially, the interactions therapists have with people they work with and for.
Rationale
The way the environment has been categorised in occupational therapy theory has been useful for the organisation, portrayal and broadening of knowledge and scopes of practice. But conceptualisations of the environment have not been critiqued as thoroughly as the ‘person’ and ‘occupation’. The relative lack of consideration of the nature of environment limits practice and theory development.
Objectives
This presentation presents preliminary results on a critical analysis of the environment in occupational therapy theory.
Methods
An intellectual history approach was used to analyse the origins and development of the environment in two dominant theories. Key ideas and thinkers were identified in relation to the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement and the Model of Human Occupation. The concept of environment was traced back to the early 1900s.
Results
The typical environmental categories (physical, social, cultural and institutional) were developed in stages across more than 40 years. Some have morphed or been added along the way as fresh theory and research have extended the profession’s ideas. However, the ideas around the environment have stagnated. This is made more obvious as new research, in areas such as occupational science and justice, reveals the limits that these categories may now be placing on occupational therapy.
Conclusions
Examining the history of the environment in occupational therapy theory makes clear that its categorisation and definitions have become fixed. More critical analysis will emancipate the profession by allowing consideration of people and occupations in ways that transcend established physical, social, cultural and institutional boundaries.
