Shaping the Temporal Patterns of our Lives: The Social Coordination of Occupation

This review synthesizes occupational science, psychology, and sociology research and theory to describe how social interaction within daily rounds of occupations may be organized within the stream of time. The coordination and orchestration of activities between individuals is a highly sophisticated process that is proposed to rely on entrainment between members, shared background expectancies that promote orderly interactions within daily routines and mutually accepted beliefs about time. This article begins by describing the roots of the ideation and patterning of temporal socialization which is drawn from biological rhythms, values and beliefs, work and social commitments, cultural beliefs and engagement in activity. Next it introduces the key concept of occupatio‐temporality or how occupation itself patterns participation through the rhythm, tempo, sequence, synchronization, requirement for personal resources, and compatibility with other occupations. Finally, examples from research studies illustrate the complexity of social coordination of activities within work and home settings, including the construction of temporal synchronicity for co‐workers and families.