Summary: The Evolving Theory Of Occupational Justice

“The evolving theory of occupational justice links the concept to social justice and to concerns for a justice of difference: a justice that recognizes occupational rights to inclusive participation in everyday occupations for all persons in society, regardless of age, ability, gender, social class, or other differences” (Nilsson & Townsend, 2010, p. 57). The term occupational justice emphasizes rights, responsibilities, and liberties that enables people to experience health and quality of life through engagement in occupations (Townsend & Whiteford, 2005). Occupational injustices are continuously occurring throughout the world in all contexts and environments with various populations. Congruent with the social model, focusing on refugees and
Many people in mental health institutions in the 19th century engaged in occupations in order to maintain these institutions (Gordon, 2009). Therapeutic activity involved engaging in handcrafted goods and activities to ensure the economic viability (Gordon, 2009). Individuals lacked choice and meaning to what they were doing imposing occupational injustice. Conversely, occupational therapists also campaigned for moral treatment and challenged societal beliefs surrounding how people with a mental illness should be treated (Gordon, 2009). The mechanistic paradigm with the evolving medical model approach, occupational therapists were not appreciating the environmental and social impact on occupation. The essence and identity of the profession along with the occupational focus was lost following World War II through the medical model approach. From an occupational perspective, the treatment given to chronically disabled people was inadequate (Tufano & Cole, 2008). As occupational therapists became more specialised in body parts and their function instead of sets of occupation, the value of meaningful occupation was lost, its relationship to the environment, and occupational performance (Gordon, 2009; Tufano & Cole, 2008). The emerging paradigm of the profession has refocused embracing the social model of disability. Through education, holistic client centred treatment and empowerment, the profession is evolving becoming occupationally just (Tufano & Cole, 2008). The development of occupational science justified the profession of scientifically proving our worth to other professions, in addition to bringing the profession back to its roots promoting health and well-being through occupation. Furthermore, the focus on professionalism and evidence-based practice are additional evolving matters that develop working towards