Addressing the gender construct in occupation-based research: A scoping review / Abordaje del constructo género en investigación basada en la ocupación: Un estudio de alcance

Abstract

In the context of a critical and transformational agenda, there is a need to discuss the relationship among social categories–including gender and occupation–in occupational therapy and occupational science-related research. This scoping review aimed to address how the concept of gender has been dealt with in scientific publications in order to provide a vision of how it has been used, defined, and explored throughout the history of this discipline and practice. Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) scoping review methodology was used, as it allows for the synthesis of diverse qualitative data and facilitates the exploration of studies according to their relevance, paying attention to how they shape and inform a research corpus. Fifty-five articles were included in the analysis, leading to two main categories. The outcomes reveal how gender has been mainly associated, on the one hand, to a singular or gender binary category and, on the other, to a situated category that results in occupational opportunities. Additionally, the development of the concept of gender is introduced in association with the establishment of the discipline from a feminist and critical standpoint. The results clearly reveal the importance of introducing a critical perspective on the concept in order to clarify some of the strategies that can lead to both occupational possibilities and inequalities.