Sacred Texts: A Sceptical Exploration of the Assumptions Underpinning Theories of Occupation

BACKGROUND: Occupational therapists share some basic assumptions about occupation that are rarely challenged and are held to be true. These assumptions underpin our theories of human occupation. PURPOSE: To probe some of the core assumptions that inform current occupational therapy theory and to determine whether these are culturally specific or have supporting evidence. KEY ISSUES: Evidence suggests that some of occupational therapy's entrenched assumptions reflect specific rather than universal perspectives; that many meaningful occupations cannot be categorized as self-care, productivity or leisure; that the concept of leisure is an ableist, class-bound, and culturally specific concept; that current models of occupation overlook activities motivated by connections to others; that productivity is not universally perceived to be central to life's meaning nor universally experienced as a positive contributor to health; and that independence is not universally prized. IMPLICATIONS: Occupational therapy's theories of occupation would benefit from a sound evidence base derived from diverse cultural perspectives.