Reflections on: "so... what do you do?" Occupation and the construction of identity

Abstract

Background. What we do has always played a leading part in social conversations about who we are. In part, these social questions are about occupational identity. Purpose and method. Occupational identity is an emerging concept in the occupational therapy literature. In this paper, the concept of occupational identity is examined through the observations of a former research participant in a previous study on the meaning of gardens and gardening in daily life, and the recent work of researchers in occupational therapy and occupational science. Results. Three themes are examined in these reflections. They are occupation and continuity of occupational identity, the contributions of productivity, leisure and self-care to occupational identity and, the public and private aspects of occupational identity. Practice Implications. Exploration with a client about what occupations are most meaningful in her or his life may be a means to understanding the person's construction of an occupational identity. Understanding the nature of the client's occupational identity may be a necessary beginning to developing a collaborative approach to what is needed in occupational therapy intervention.