Transactional perspectives on occupation: An introduction and rationale

Abstract

In this introductory chapter, we begin by offering a rationale for the book's value. We suggest that the transactional perspectives articulated throughout this book both implicitly and explicitly suggest that occupations are forms of activity that create and re-create a multitude of our relationships with the worlds we experience. We thereby argue the book's interest to readers who are already interested in transactional perspectives on occupation, those from occupational therapy or science who want to learn what the perspectives are about, and those from other disciplines who work either on subjects related to the study of occupation or in fields where a transactional perspective may be beneficial. We then connect the development of transactional perspectives from the early works of John Dewey to more recent efforts in occupational science. In doing so, a brief orientation to the concepts that hold the perspective together is provided. We then suggest how the contributions to follow signify a pluralistic approach to the transactional perspective before explaining the structure and content of the chapters to follow.